Rwby: Lighting the Darkness
by AFightingDreamer
Summary: Light and Darkness. One cannot exist without the other. And yet, each side always trys to snuff the other out. Join Teams RWBY and JNPR as they learn that not all darkness is evil, and the light isn't always warm with the help of Weiss's mysterious new servant, who claims she summoned him from a place known as the Void. Will darkness triumph? Or will the light shine forever?
1. Premonition

**Hello peoples of the interwebs! Welcome to a fanfic of the popular web series, RWBY! **

**Now, before we begin, yes, this story will have an OC, no he will not be the center of attention in the fic. No he will not be some popular man whore who gets all the girls. No he will not be unbeatable, or all powerful. Yes, he will have some cliche tragic backstory (What anime character doesnt?) but it wont be the focus of the story. **

**Feel free to viciously nitpick the writing itself, it helps improve myself, but random hate comments are not helpful at all and will be ignored. Also, there will not be any yaoi or yuri pairings, at all. Like the hate comments, complaints about the lack thereof will also be ignored. **

**I dont go and complain about whiterose or bumblebee fics being yuri related so I would ask that you extend me the same courtesy.**

**I do not own Rwby, or any related content. All rights go to rooster teeth, Monty oum, and all whom it may concern.**

**I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I had fun writing it!**

**Except for you, Carl. You dick!**

* * *

Schnee Manor: 3:00 A.M.

She jolts awake, sweat beading across her brow. The only sound in the room is that of her heavy breathing. The silken sheets, now damp with perspiration from the young girls night terrors, are slowly balled into her tiny fists. "Not again..." she whispers to herself, "please, just leave me alone!" It was at times like these that she wished she wasn't so distant from her sister, or father. It was times like these when she'd never felt as small and alone.

The young heiress, a seventeen year old Weiss Schnee, was hoping to get at least one good nights sleep before heading out to the prestigious Beacon Academy for hunters and huntresses. However, it seems that the Lord Monty Oum decided she didn't need her precious sleep. For the past few weeks now, she had been having the same nightmares over and over again.

* * *

_Always the same field, barren, broken, and forgotten. Scars of battle ran deep in the landscape. Something terrible happened here, or will soon happen. She looks behind her, searching for something though she knows not what she should be searching for. She faces forward, watching hordes of Grimm appear from a dark cloud and begin to stalk towards her. She is terrified and tries to run, but she cannot move. Eyes flash behind the darkness, hungry and merciless. It wants to devour her. Tendrils of the darkness race past the Grimm as they halt their advance, waiting for their meal to be brought to them. _

_She cannot move._

_She tries to will her body to move, to scream for help, anything to escape the ravenous hordes before her. The darkness is mere feet from her now. Very soon, it would have her. Very soon, she would be dead. She closes her eyes, silently pleading for someone to save her. _

_Nothing happens._

_She opens one eye. The darkness has stopped and the Grimm are snarling, but not at her. She feels a warm, comforting hand on her shoulder and turns to meet the eyes of her savior, but his face is covered by a hooded coat. She only sees his smile. A gentle smile, almost saying to her, 'Don't worry. I won't let them harm you.' _

_He strides forward, his hand slowly, almost regrettably, slides off her shoulder. The warmth of his hand is now gone. A new feeling settles in the pit of her stomach as she realizes something._

_He has no weapon._

_ The tendrils of darkness resume their path, but are now pursuing a new target. _

_Him. _

_She tries to call out to him, warn him. She has never met the man before in her life, but something is telling her that he is important. _

_Or will be. _

_The darkness has him now, but he doesn't seem to notice. He keeps his pace, passing by the Grimm and heading towards the center of the horde where the heart of the darkness lay. The Grimm seemed to have lost their patience and charge him. She finds her voice again and calls out to him, but she cannot hear the name that she uses._

_He turns. One last time._

_The same smile. The same promise._

_The same bleeding body, dragged into the darkness._

* * *

Beacon Academy Courtyard: The next morning.

Weiss Schnee enjoys sleep. Enjoys it very much, actually. So, when her sleep is deprived of her, whether it be waking up early for fencing lessons, early meetings, or nightmares, she tends to become a bit hostile. This is evident to everyone but herself when she began scolding, quite harshly, a young girl clad heavily in black and red, who tripped over her luggage. Accidentally, of course.

"Sorry!? Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused!?" The young girl, she will call her red for now and decides to properly chastise the girl for almost killing them both, merely mumbled and tried to pick up the cases she knocked over. The heiress snatched them from her hands, "This is Dust. Mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry." Red, still a bit shaken by the girls behavior, very eloquently replied, "Uh..?" causing the heiress to launch into another barrage of verbal assaults, taking out a vial of the substance from the case she held, "What are you, brain dead? Dust! Fire. Water. Lightning. Energy!" With each element she listed off, she shook the vial of red dust in her hand.

Now, one would think that such a wealthy, proud, and professional child of the Schnee company would always check to see if the containers of volatile dust were properly sealed before transport. If only to avoid any minor mishaps, such as an explosion of some sort. However, due to her severe lack of sleep these past few days, she had skipped that particular part of her morning. Dust filtered out through the broken seal and permeated the air around them. Red, who was unfortunate enough to breathe in at that moment, soon found that Dust did not agree with her nose.

They were lucky it was only a small explosion.

Another tirade was eminent.

* * *

Beacon Academy Assembly Hall

Looking back on it, after having a bit of time to cool off, perhaps she was too harsh on the poor girl. That black haired girl who insulted her family with harsh, though accurate, accusations did little to help her see that. However, her pride as a Schnee would never allow her to apologize directly to the apparent huntress-in-training. So, instead, she opted for an indirect approach.

"You really want to start making things up to me? Read this and never speak to me again." A perfect Schnee-like apology. Hey, at least she even spoke to the girl again. The blonde next to the girl, who was oddly enough her older sister, tried to defend red. Weiss had already decided that she did not like this blonde girl, due to her very apparent 'assets'. It was like they were taunting her! Make no mistake, Weiss was very happy with her rather lithe and graceful frame, but the Lord Monty didn't have to cut off 'all' of her growth!

A few more apologies, sarcastic comments, and one terribly executed pickup line (courtesy of a goofy looking blonde knight) later, the opening ceremony had begun.

* * *

The Ballroom: 10:00 P.M.

Weiss hoped, prayed, even begged the Lord Monty for a peaceful sleep, just for tonight. Just to make it past initiation without any hiccups, or undesired setbacks. The heiress had already scoped out the perfect partner in the form of one Pyrrha Nikos. A talented individual like that was a perfect match for the equally talented Heiress. In her opinion, anyway.

After laying out her sleeping arrangements, she changed into her night clothes, brushed and washed up, and readied herself for bed. Now, being in a large room full of excited hopeful first years already made the room a bit noisy, even with all of the whispering, but it seemed that red and her older sister were determined to undermine the girls attempt at sleeping.

Another outburst from the heiress.

12:00 A.M.

Another dream, but this one was completely different than before.

_Instead of a barren wasteland, she was in a white room. The room was completely empty and, as far as she could tell, very large. She waited for the Grimm, the darkness, and the comforting hand, but none of them came. _

_It terrified her more than the Grimm in the last dream. At least there was something there, something she could see. In this white room, she was completely alone. She hated being alone._

_"...What is your wish?"_

_She snapped her head around at the sudden appearance of a voice. It sounded male though not quite the voice of a man, but not the voice of a boy either. He sounded tired._

_"My... wish?"_

_Her voice carried and echoed, sending the words right back at her. _

My wish... My wish... My wish...

_The tired voice sighed, almost annoyed, "Are you really my..." _

She woke up.

* * *

The cliffs above Emerald Forrest: 9:00 A.M.

Weiss Schnee was tired. Tired of these stupid, confusing dreams. Tired of people annoying her with cheesy pickup lines or unwanted apologies and offers of friendship. She would find Pyrrha in this forest, become her partner, and everything would be just fine.

Yeah.

It was her turn now. The headmaster had briefly explained the outlines of the initiation trial to them before launching them into the forest. Using her semblance, carefully practiced and refined over many years of training, she gracefully glided through the air on her glyphs, looking for a good spot to touch down and begin her search.

Up ahead, she saw the trees below her thin out a bit. A perfect spot to begin. Leaping from glyph to glyph, she made her way down to the forest floor. In the distance, she though she'd heard a girl screaming in the air, but couldn't place the voice to any of the girls she had seen in the lineup. "Well, I won't get any closer to my goal standing around here." She said to no one in particular and started off into the forest. First thing's first, she needed to find her red headed partner!

Luck seemed to enjoy using her as a punchline. She was made painfully aware of this as her new 'partner' zipped around and assured her that she would not slow the heiress down. If she had been fully rested, she might have noticed that the girl, apparently Ruby was her name (go figure), was doing her best to make up for earlier, but she was not, so she did not. After making a weak attempt at trying to befriend the heiress again, the girl zoomed away, leaving rose petals in her wake.

"You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!" But Ruby was already off, determined to show the heiress just how fast she was. Weiss stood where she was, annoyed, tired, and dissapointed, waiting for Ruby to return. After a few minutes, she begun to notice just how quiet the forest had gotten. It was unnatural. The birds had stopped chirping, the insects had stopped buzzing, even the wind had died down. Behind her, the bushes rustled ominously. Far too much noise to be Ruby, but even she could hope, right?

Wrong.

"Ruby?" The heiress turned and looked all around the area, already hearing the snarls of beowolves. The sky seemed to get darker around her, the trees closed in, like the entire forest was trying to smother her. She felt the same way she did in her dream. Small. Scared.

Alone.

The first Beowulf shuffled out of the foliage and growled at her. In a moment of panic, she cried out just as the rest of the pack followed suit, "Ruby!"

* * *

Unknown Location: Unknown Time

"Do you understand the rules of the contract?" An ancient voice boomed in the ears of the young man who stood in the void. His cloaked figure barely outlined in the already dark expanse.

"I understand and accept the contract. I will fulfill my duty to my Master until I die, or am relieved." From the tone of his voice, he was not very happy with his current predicament.

"Very well. The contract has been accepted. Warrior Exile, Ichika. You are now a contracted servant. Serve your master well, and your reward will be that which you always wanted."

His gaze hardened as he stared ahead into the empty space. His desire would come true at last. All he had to do, was serve his master until they were satisfied, and he would finally get his wish. Simple enough, right?

Not even close.

* * *

She was surrounded.

The heiress took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. She was a huntress-in-training now. She had a responsibility to become the best huntress Beacon had ever seen.

_All alone._

'Head up. Shoulders back. Right foot for-' The beowulf in front of her charged before she could finish preparing her stance, swinging its razor sharp claws in a deadly arc. While she was not unfamiliar with live combat, this was the first instance it was in a non-controlled environment. For the first time, her opponent did not wait for her to be ready. For the first time, her opponent wanted to kill her.

_She wasn't ready._

She blocked the swipe with her trusty raiper, Myrtenaster. The force of the blow sent her skidding backwards a ways before she could regain her footing. She held her sword in a defensive stance, using the basic knowledge of Grimm battle tactics.

Beowolves never hunted alone. They were always in a pack and used their numbers to overpower their prey. Even with four skilled, full fledged hunters, an especially large pack would be difficult to handle. Taking them on alone, was almost certainly fatal.

_Is she going to die here?_

Two more charged. One in front, one behind. She leapt, using a glyph to add some extra air, over the beast in front of her. When she landed, she used a vector glyph to send her speeding towards its unprotected back. She was unprepared for the sudden attack from the side that knocked her off her feet. Her forward momentum caused her to tumble sideways into a tree, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to drop her sword. Attempting to regain her bearings, she reached for Myrtenaster, in case they decided to rush in while she was down, but it was too far away.

_In the end, she accomplished nothing. She was going to die, alone. All because she was so fixated on her own goals._

The beasts closed in, sensing victory.

The young girl was terrified now. She was shaking. Her voice was caught in her throat so she couldn't scream for help. Ruby was nowhere to be seen.

_Abandoned. _

'Someone! Anyone! Please help me! I don't want to die!' She closed her eyes, finally finding her voice, "I don't want to die!"

The beasts charged, already anticipating their meal.

What they didn't anticipate, was the beacon of light that erupted from the ground just in front of the downed girl. She herself wasn't expecting it and let out a sharp cry at the sudden flash of light.

A figure began to emerge from the light. He wore a long, black, hooded coat with a single button in the middle securing it to his body. His underclothes consisted of a simple white shirt and black long pants. From her position on the ground she could barely see the hilt of a sword peeking out from the left side of his coat. For a while, he stood there, surveying the monsters gathered before him. "Cowards, only attacking in large numbers."

In the time it took for Weiss to blink, the man had disappeared and reappeared in the midst of the hoard.

_Shink!_

What she assumed was the sound of him finally drawing his weapon was actually the sound of him sheathing it. The Beowulf closest to Weiss toppled over, its torso separating from the lower half of its body as it fell. "Although... numbers will not save you from me." His voice was coated with a heavy layer of bitterness and bloodlust.

Seeing one of their pack fall enraged the beasts, causing them to charge this new enemy, intent on ripping him to shreds. The man took a deep breath and drew his blade completely. It was a long, silver blade with a slight curve at the end. The hilt was nothing special, black and red diamond shape patterns and a simple hand guard. Overall, aside from the apparent craftsmanship, it was not the most impressive thing she had seen. Not like a certain red hooded death scythe wielder she had recently become partners with. But Weiss knew that the blade itself didn't matter, it was the skill of the one who used it.

The first three fell easily, their growls cut short with a quick strike to the throat. This only further enraged the horde as they leaped over their fallen brethren. His strikes were short, precise, and fluid leaving no room for error. Limbs and severed heads littered the ground as they were cut down one by one. Weiss only watched as the final Beowulf stood before her, its back turned to her. Like its former comrades, it too charged the man head on and was cut in half, from its head to its tail. As the creature fell, Weiss could swear she saw under the man's hood for a split second. Whether it was a trick of the light, or something else, she did not know. What she did know, was that blazing red eyes were rarely the sign of a calm individual.

He turned around and stared into the forest. Seeing that all the enemies were dead in this area, he flicked the blood from his sword, which had already started to dissipate, and sheathed his blade. Finally, after turning back around, he regarded the young girl laying against the tree.

She was sure now. There was no mistaking it, this was the man from her dream. It had to be! This was the- "Tch."

...

What?

"Excuse me?" She asked incredulously, thinking she might have mistaken the sound she heard.

"You've got to be kidding me... I have to serve you? I was better off in the void..." He sighed, clearly annoyed.

"I'm right here you know!" She leapt to her feet, "Who are you anyways? And what was with that light show?"

He snorted, "Figures. Doesn't even realize she summoned me-_ Whack!_ Ow! The hell was that for!?" He rubbed his shin which had been furiously kicked by the short heiress.

"Quit talking about me like I'm not here! Answer me, who are you!?" After favoring his leg a bit more, she had quite the kick for such a small girl, he answers "Ichika. I was contracted to be your servant after I accepted your call from the void. Although I'm starting to wonder if it was a mistake."

Void? Servant? Contract?

Just what the heck was going on!?

* * *

**Ok, so for those of you who stuck it out to the end, Congratulations! You don't get put in the hole with edgar! **

**Alright so, OC was a bit OP in this chapter, but I promise he wont stay that way. It was more for the sake of a dramatic entrance. The style of writing itself will change as well. instead of broken paragraphs separated by times and locations, I will start to flesh out the story a bit more. It will also include the other characters instead of only focusing on Weiss and my OC with their thoughts. Again, it was for the sake of an entrance. Feel free to ask any questions in a review and I will do my best to answer them without revealing too much. Ciao!**


	2. Partners

**Well hello there again, anyone who actually read chapter one and decided, "You know what? I'll give it a shot."**

**Here is another chapter of my story.**

**A few short notes.**

**1\. Any italics in the story, unless otherwise specified, are Weiss's feelings, not thoughts.**

**2\. Ichika, as I previously mentioned in the A/N of the last chapter, is an rp character I used for many different rp's on a few sites I've been a member of. Each version of him was different so it was hard for me to decide what version I wanted to use. In the end, i decided to merge a few ideas together. Hopefully it will work out well, but then again my luck has never held up when i needed it most. =/**

**3\. What do you guys think of his attitude towards everything so far? I know I haven't given you much to go on, but hopefully this chapter gives a little more insight to his character.**

**4\. As you might probably gues, after reading this chapter at least, I do not intend to make Weiss and Ichika a pair right off. in fact, they are going to hate each other for a while. Well, not hate, but dislike each other's mannerisms to the point where the idea of them getting together sounds like a sick joke. It will build up slowly, and gradually. I hope.**

**And that's all for now, have fun reading and please R&amp;R if you feel generous XD**

**Edit: 10/26/15 Fixed some dialouge and made a few changes. **

* * *

_"Your true face... what kind of... face is it? I wonder..._

_The face under the mask... is that your true face?" -Twinmold Child, Majora's Mask._

* * *

Ruby Rose, the youngest student to have been accepted at Beacon Academy, liked to think that she was prepared for anything when she sped back towards the clearing where she had last seen her new partner. She silently berated herself for focusing so much on showing off her speed and getting turned around in the thick forest rather than actually completing the trial. By the time she heard the scream, Ruby was still a good ways off. Still, as she zipped through the underbrush of the Emerald Forest, she could hear the sounds of fighting so at least she knew that the crabby heiress girl, who liked to yell at her all the time, was alive.

"...the hell was that for!?" "Quit talking about me as if I'm not here!"

'Huh? That first voice sounded like a male. Doesn't sound like Jaune though... who could it be?'

"What!? Servant? I don't remember ordering a servant. Besides, I'm certain my father wouldn't send someone like you even if I did." Yep. That was definitely Ms. Crabby. "Like I said, I was summoned from the void. If you'd pay attention somewhat I wouldn't have to repeat myself. Geez, why did I have to accept the contract of some scatterbrained kid- Ow! Quit that!" "I'm not a kid! I'm seventeen!" "...really? Ow! Why you...!"

She still couldn't place a face or a name to the voice, although the number of her encounters with males since arriving at Beacon were still in the single digits.

One digit to be exact.

Nevertheless she continued on, ready to take down anything that stood in her way, in order to assist her-

"Umm... what?" Just as she burst through the clearing she saw her partner, who thankfully looked alright, all things considered, swinging her fists wildly at some guy in a black coat who was much taller than her. Her blows never connected since his hand was planted firmly against her head, utilizing his longer reach to keep the girl at bay.

"You through yet? I'd really like to get explanations out of the way so we can get this over with as soon as possible." The tall guy sighed as she continued to swing at him and shouting.

"Take your hand off me! Do you have any idea who I am?" Weiss was furious at this point.

"Not a clue. I gave you my name, but you never gave me yours. Figured you'd show at least some semblance of common courtesy." He huffed and picked at a leaf that had fallen on his shoulder, his other hand still firmly planted against her head. "Although I suppose that is expecting too much. Judging by your appearance, I would assume you are of noble birth? Figures, most rich snobs only ever expect praise and worship from those of a 'lesser' status without ever giving it back."

_Don't compare me to them..._

"S-snob!? My name is Weiss Schnee you insufferable...!" Weiss was about to go into a flurry of insults when the sound of someone clearing their throat stopped her.

"Umm... are you two going to finish anytime soon or... should I come back later?" Ruby almost regretted speaking up, because now the heiress directed her fury at the young reaper.

"And you! Where were you when I was surrounded by a Beowulf pack!?" She stomped over to Ruby, not bothering to wait for her answer, "You say you want me to be your friend and all you've done is explode, kept me from my sleep, and abandoned me in the forest! You're supposed to be my partner? You're more dangerous than the Grimm!"

"I... I didn't mean to... I just... I was trying to...-" Ruby tried to explain, but Weiss would have none of it.

"Trying to what!? Get me killed!? Well, you almost succeeded!" All of her stress, pent up frustration, and tired fury were being released solely at the red reaper. Whether it was meant to be or not.

"T-thats... I'm sorr-" Ruby hated situations like this. She felt so lost and helpless, unable to figure out how to fix it. She realized she had messed up, but doesn't everyone mess up from time to time? Her words died in her throat as she felt herself start to panic. She wasn't used to things like this, dealing with people. She just wanted to show everyone she was just as capable as they were.

"Sorry!?" Weiss took in a breath, ready to unleash another rage fueled barrage of harsh words when a sharp commanding voice erupted behind her.

"ENOUGH!" Both girls froze and turned to look at the hooded man. His voice took on a sharp, admonishing tone, "I have neither the time nor patience for this kind of childish arguing. If you wish to be angry, be angry at yourself." He directed this at Weiss and continued, "I don't know what has happened, and I certainly don't care but if this 'conversation' is anything to go by you are just as much at fault as she is." His frown deepened, "I've seen people like you time and time again, and it's always the same scenario. You lash out when things don't go as you planned, blaming others and failing to see your own faults. You refuse to accept responsibility and instead look for someone else to take the fall for your misfortune. That is a sign of arrogance and immaturity."

When he finished, Weiss stood quietly. How dare he! Reprimanding her like she was some child!

_He was right._

She bit her lip to stop it from quivering. In truth, she wasn't angry for the sake of being angry. She was being immature because she got scared, and didn't want to acknowledge it. In the face of danger, of what she was going to be facing for the rest of her life, she got scared and froze up.

_But she would never admit it. A Schnee does not fear, and they do not freeze up._

_But she had._

_And perhaps he was right about something else. Ruby couldn't have known that she would get turned around in the woods. Maybe it wasn't fair to say all those things, but..._

He was no longer paying attention to the Heiress and her internal struggles, instead focusing on the younger girl who seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. He slowly made his way over to her, careful not to move too fast lest he spook her, but maintaining his lecturing tone, "And you," She takes a small step back when he gets close so he stops and raises his hands in a placating manner, trying to assure her he wasn't going to hurt her. He drops to a knee in front of her and reaches up to take off his hood.

She watches, worried that he would yell at her too. Today was horrible already, she didn't want to make someone else hate her. Her breath got caught in her throat when the hood finally fell away. He looked a lot younger than she had originally thought, about eighteen or nineteen give or take a year. His hair looked almost as long as her sister, Yang's, but pitch black. That wasn't what got her attention, though. It was his eyes. They were the brightest yellow she had ever seen. His gaze was soft, calming even, but at the same time firm. Almost like her dad had been when she was caught sneaking a few cookies before bed.

"You left your partner?" She gave a small apologetic nod, "She almost died. Admittedly I can assume that her attitude has been less than desireable to endure, but nonetheless you ran off and left her."

She felt tears well up in her eyes, "I just... wanted to prove... I wasn't useless."

His eyes held her gaze for a moment, like he was searching for something. This wasn't like him. If someone makes a mistake, the consequences are their own as is the responsibility of learning from the experience. That was just how the world works. But the little girl in front of him reminded him of someone else he once knew... someone he wished he could have told the same thing to, but never got the chance. He nodded and continued, "You wanted to show your worth. Admirable, but there are other ways of going about that. When you are with someone, trying to survive no less, you must trust each other enough to fight and survive along side them, regardless of your personal feelings." He pauses, glancing over his shoulder into the woods, "We should move. Something big is coming." He turned back towards Weiss, waiting.

Snapping out of her inner turmoil, she just looked at him. What was he waiting for? "What?"

"Where do we go? Weren't you two doing something before I showed up?" Ichika was close to just picking a direction and telling them to run. Whatever that thing was, it was huge and closing in on them fast.

"Oh... Oh! The initiation! We have to find the relics!" She looked around and around quickly, trying to figure out which way they should go. Why did everything have to look the same!?

_*Rooooooooar!*_

"Is that a giant crow!?" Ichika couldn't believe what he was seeing. A crow about the size of a two-story house was soaring through the sky right at them.

"Nevermore!" Ruby unsheathed Crescent Rose and set it to sniper mode, aiming for the creature's face and unleashing a flurry of bullets while Weiss used Myrtenaster and shot a few icicles after it. The large grimm screamed and veered off, preparing for another pass.

Seeing their chance, Weiss turned to run for cover. "Wait..." She glanced towards Ruby who was watching the grimm circle around. "I have an idea..."

Why did she have a bad feeling about this?

* * *

"Ruby!" Weiss' voice was almost carried away by the wind roaring past them, but the young reaper still heard it. "I told you this was a terrible idea!"

From nearby, Ichika called out as well, "I'm going to have to agree with the midget on this one."

"Hey!"

"It's fine, stop worrying!" Ruby tried to reassure them. Although, it's a bit difficult to convince someone that riding a giant Nevermore through the skies, to search for a single ruin in the middle of a dense forest in order to retrieve a relic, was a good idea when you yourself sound doubtful.

"Oh I am so beyond worrying!" Weiss called back, careful not to lose her grip on the beasts feathers.

"In a good way?" Did she seriously ask that question?

"No! In a bad way, in a very bad way!"

Ichika sighed, listening to the two bickering. However, watching the two on the back of the avian beast, he sensed something. Although he felt she would never admit it, his master was having fun with the girl named Ruby. Their mannerisms reminded him of...

Wait, did she just say jump?

"Do you even know how you're going to la- aaaand she's gone." He groaned as he watched to young girl fall through the air, readying himself to jump. Turns out, he didn't have to. While he was angling himself for a better shot, he saw a blonde haired boy come crashing through the trees and into her side. Glancing in the direction the boy had been flung from, he was mildly surprised to see a giant scorpion tearing through the forest. "This place just keeps getting weirder..."

A surprised yelp from below him made him sigh heavily. She was going to be a handful, wasn't she? Looking down he noticed that Weiss had attempted to let go, but got spooked because of the height and slipped. She had grasped on to the Nevermore's deadly talons and was dangling there, "How could you leave me!?"

She was going to fall in 3... 2... 1... yep, she's gone as well.

"Eyes on the prize, Ichika. Keeping her alive will let you have what you always wanted." With that thought, he also let go of the Nevermore, the immediate weightless sensation almost completely flooding his senses. Gaining control, he angled himself towards the girl, his body becoming as straight as an arrow as he sped towards her. Again, however, he found there was no need. Soon she was hopping through the air on a few odd shaped runes that appeared under her feet. "Well, look at that. I may have misjudged her." When she touched down, he finally realized his own dilemma. How was he going to land?

"Oh, this is going to hurt." Adjusting his descent, again, he aimed for the trees, grabbing a limb to try and slow himself down when he got low enough. It did the trick, but not without dislocating his arm in the process. He bit back the pain, and tucked into a roll when he reached the ground.

* * *

Weiss, now safely on the ground, surveyed the area around her. The ruins right behind her had several pedestals on top of which rested the... relics? Why did they look like chess pieces?

On further inspection, it seemed that two other pairs had reached the ruins before them and claimed their... relics. Ruby's older sister, though she didn't see much resemblance, and the black haired girl who insulted her family's business with... more or less, kind of accurate, accusations. She also saw a quiet raven haired boy in green next to an extremely loud and hyperactive, girl in pink. She had a feeling that girl was going to be trouble. And it absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that she, like almost everyone she had met in the past few days, was very well endowed. Looking elsewhere, she saw Ruby leap out of a nearby tree, followed shortly by Mr. tall, blonde, and scraggly himself. Though his landing was significantly less graceful.

"Geez, my time in the Void made me soft. *crack!_*_ Ah, man that stings." Turning around she saw the newest addition to her list of problems. Ichika made his way out of the woods, favoring his left arm a bit. 'He must have injured it on the way down.' As soon as he saw her, he began making his way over. 'Oh great, now he's going to lecture me again? Well, if he thinks I'm going to just sit here and listen to his ran-'

"That was impressive. Didn't know you had something like that up your sleeve."

Did he just praise her?

"Huh? You mean my glyphs? Well, yeah, I mean did you really think I didn't have a plan when I jumped off of the Nevermore?" She didn't even believe herself.

He cocked an eyebrow, "Uh huh. So, what's the plan?"

* * *

Blake felt something wrong shortly after Weiss Schnee finally made it to the ground. Blake was certain that there was another figure that fell from the sky, but of the initiates she saw before the trial, she didn't recognize him.

And that set her on edge.

However, it wasn't simply the fact that she didn't recognize him. There was something else. Something that made her skin crawl, and her senses heighten. What was it?

Then, she saw him.

He was rubbing his arm, mumbling to himself as he exited the forest. Her pair of cat ears, covered by a completely inconspicuous bow, twitched nervously. His stance, his walk, his very presence screamed danger at her. But why? And why was no one else reacting to it? Was he masking it and she had just happened to pick up on it? He was headed towards the heiress. Was she a target? Could he be... no, he wasn't a faunas. Not that she could tell anyways.

She was torn away from her speculations when Pyrrha Nikos, also known as the invincible girl, landed rather ungracefully in front of the gathered group of teens. Rolling her eyes at her new partner's off-handed comment about dying together, she steeled her nerves when the unknown male and the heiress made their way over to them. She would have to worry about them later. Right now, they had bigger issues to deal with. Two to be exact. One in the form of a giant Nevermore, and the other a Deathstalker Matriarch.

They would have to come up with some sort of plan to get away. They could try and run for it, as long as no one did something stupid and tried to take them head on.

* * *

"Not if can help it!" And with that Ruby shot forwards, using the powerful recoil from Crescent Rose to propel her into the Deathstalker.

This was it. This was where she proved that she wasn't some kid that snuck her way into Beacon.

However, she misjudged the toughness of the bony exoskeleton that surrounded the front and top of the Deathstalker's body. When she swung crescent rose at it, the blade merely scratched the armoring and forced her back. "D-don't worry! T-totally fine!" *crunch crunch crunch* She slowly turned to face the Deathstalker that had closed the distance rather quickly. Staring into the red, beady eyes, she finally understood her mistake.

And it scared her.

She shot a round straight into the creature's face and took off, collapsing Crescent Rose into a more mobile form. She saw that her sister, Yang, was rushing towards her, a terrified expression on her face. Above her, she heard the Nevermore and started to pick up her speed. In one terrible second, she was yanked backwards. Looking behind her, she saw that the Nevermore had shot it's feathers at her. One of which currently stuck into her cloak, pinning her down. She tried yanking the cloak free, but it would not budge. The Deathstalker was closing in fast, ready to make a meal of the girl.

* * *

Ichika watched all this with a neutral expression. When Ruby and rushed in to fight the Deathstalker, he knew it was futile. He may not know anything about these creatures, but he did know what armor looked like. It would take a lot more force to pierce it than what the young girl currently possessed. But he did not step in. It was not his fight. If she wanted to make rash decisions that endangered herself and others, then she must learn the consequences.

That doesn't mean he didn't care. He'd seen too much death in his life, but death is an inevitability. So he did not interfere. His master, however, was making a curious expression. 'Oh? My master has a bit of fire to her. Let's see how much...'

Weiss was furious. That girl was such an idiot! Only someone like her would try to charge a Deathstalker head on. Did she learn nothing in her previous academy? She twitched, part of her wanting to rush in, another part of her telling her there was no point.

She glanced up at the man beside her.

Nothing? He didn't look at all concerned about the situation!? If anything, he looked bored! Did he not care about the death of someone else? For all his words earlier, he wasn't going to lift a finger!?

He returned her gaze out of the corner of his eye. 'Well? Do you need me to save you again?' His eyes seemed to say.

That was the straw that broke the Beowulf's back. 'I'll show you! A schnee does not need saving!' She used a forward vector glyph and shot forward, unaware of the slight approving nod from the raven-haired servant.

She was almost a second too late. Just before the Deathstalker's tail impaled Ruby, Weiss activated her ice dust and froze the tail in a solid frozen wall. Deciding it was sufficiently trapped she turned on the girl who still had her eyes closed.

"You are so childish," She continued, even as Ruby was slowly opening her eyes, "and dimwitted, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style."

She paused, not at all enjoying her next words, but also knowing that they were necessary. And long overdue.

"And I suppose... I can be a bit... difficult but, if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this, together. So if you will quit trying to show off, I'll be... nicer."

Ruby blinked a few times, a bit unsure of how to handle this. But at least Weiss wasn't mad at her anymore, right? "I'm not trying to show off... I just want you to know I can do this."

Weiss now realized what Ichika was trying to say earlier. Ruby was convinced that everyone only saw her as some kid who fluked her way into beacon and, while incredibly dangerous and stupid, believed that the only way to prove herself was to tackle everything head on by herself.

And Weiss herself was, in no small part, responsible for it.

"You're fine." And she meant it.

'Now we just need to get those relics, and get back to the cliffs.' Simple enough, right?

* * *

A silver haired man watched the initiation with a mixture of interest and apprehension. This man was the one and only Headmaster Ozpin. His source of concern was the robed figure next to the young Heiress. This boy that had appeared... Just what exactly was he?

It was too soon to call him an ally, but he didn't seem like an enemy. Ozpin decided to trust his gut feeling and left it alone. For now. Time would tell whether the boy was a threat to his precious students, or a invaluable ally.

"Quite interesting indeed..."


	3. End of the trial, Start of the journey

**12/28/14 9:43 PM: Preview. Final draft to be finished before 1/2/15. Enjoy and please send me some feedback if you're feeling gracious. Also, Merry late Christmas and happy new years to everyone!**

**1/1/15 2:38 PM: And, done! 5,000 words and all! Alright, so, a bit more action and character building in this chapter, plus we get to see different characters reactions towards this new person. None are very positive, but that's to be expected, right? Anyways, I hope you all have a happy new year and I will see you in the next chapter whenever I get it done! (New years resolution: Don't promise chapter dates.)**

**1/29/15 12:11 PM: Made some adjustments and added some dialogue that I felt needed to be included. (The argument after they speak to Prof. Ozpin.)**

* * *

_"...And when he gets to Heaven,_

_To Saint Peter he will tell,_

_'Just another solider reporting, Sir,_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_**I've served my time in Hell.'**_

_-The Solider's Poem_

* * *

Yang was proud of many things. Her hair being second to the top of the list. Her dad had always told her that her hair reminded him of her mother. For that reason, she was always very protective of it. There was only one thing that could top her long, wild, golden locks: Ruby. To Yang, Ruby was probably the most important thing in the world to her. She was her baby sister, and she would do anything to keep her safe. But at this moment, seeing Ruby standing on top of that rock telling everyone to follow her back to the cliffs, she felt her pride swell even greater. She almost didn't hear her black haired partner next to her when she asked if something was wrong. Realizing she had been staring off into space for a while, Yang shook it off and replied, "Oh, nothing," before hurrying after the rest of the group, but not before sparing a suspicious glance toward the hooded man next to Ruby and her partner, Weiss. Something about him made her feel uneasy. She would have to keep and eye on him.

* * *

They ran as fast as they could, the sounds of the Nevermore screeching above them, until they reached the base of the cliff surrounded by ruined structures. It must have been a beautiful place, before the Grimm infested the area. On either side of the field that lay in the middle were two walls, worn, and crumbling with pillars still standing in intervals where they had once held up a lofty ceiling. In front of them, a long bridge spanned a wide chasm with a tall spire set in the middle. It might have been a roadway of sorts during the great war, but now it was laid to waste.

The Nevermore settled on the tip of the spire and roared in defiance at the teens gathered below. As long as that Grimm was around, going across that bridge was not the best choice at the moment. They would have to find another way up the cliff. Voicing her frustration, Yang grumbled, "Well that's great."

On the other side, the blonde haired knight, Jaune Arc, turned around to see the Deathstalker Matriarch come barreling through the trees. "Oh man, run!" His command was followed with no hesitation. Since going back was no longer and option, they decided to chance the bridge.

Which is what the Nevermore was hoping for.

Jaune barely heard the green clothed boy tell his pink clothed friend to distract the Nevermore. How was she going to distract something that huge? She'd need something to get its attention quick and- well, grenade launchers are pretty distracting. He was about to call out for her to watch behind her, as the Deathstalker had closed in, but her friend and Yang's partner attacked giving the energetic girl time to get out of there.

Close by, he also noticed that hooded guy from earlier running next to the white haired beauty he nicknamed, 'Snow Angel.' (Though it appears he did not pick up on her rather obvious dislike of being referred to as such.) Who was this guy? Is he also gunning for her, too? Great. Just great. The last thing Jaune wanted was competition. He already had enough trouble keeping up his 'macho' vibe as it was without some other guy coming into the picture and- _"Screeeeeech!" _Right, worry about Grimm now, figure out tall, dark, and mysterious later.

Just as the were about to begin sprinting across the bridge, Jaune heard his partner call out for them to keep going while she provided covering fire for them. The bullets didn't penetrate the tough exoskeleton, but it did slow the beast down long enough for everyone to make it onto the bridge. Because the Deathstalker was too large to fit, it roared in anger at its retreating prey.

Then it all went wrong.

Just as Jaune dared to hope that they might make it, he glanced to his left just in time to see the Nevermore soaring straight at them, and watched in horror as it tore through the bridge supports, crumbling the structure around them. The weightless sensation that accompanied his sudden ascent almost made him hurl. Lady Luck seemed to cut him a bit of slack though, as the angle of his flight landed him safely on the other side of the bridge along with the pink clothed girl, Snow Angel, Yang and Ruby who were currently trying to pepper the Nevermore with heavy fire.

Well, 'safe', isn't the best term to describe their situation. His partner, the green clothed guy, the black haired girl, and the hooded guy were all fending off the Deathstalker, who was swiping wildly at them with its massive claws. The black haired girl, he'd call her Black for now, was using some sort of pistol-knife-ribbon thing to draw its attention and create an opening. However, Black misjudged the creatures speed and caught a sharp blow to the stomach, throwing her to the ground behind Pyrrha and the others. Pyrrha and the green clothed guy, he dubbed him Green, had began to lay down suppressing fire when Jaune noticed Hood, the hooded guy, facing his direction. Jaune couldn't see Hood's face, but he did notice the subtle nod that Hood gave him before taking a few steps back.

"Let's do this!" Pink yelled, her tone the most serious he's heard from her since she showed up. Jaune glanced at the chasm between him and the others and gulped, "Yeah... um, I can't make that jump." When she turned and grinned at him, he realized what she was about to do. Before he could stop her, she swung her grenade launcher back, throwing him to his rear, and transformed it into a giant hammer. With reckless abandon she leaped high into the air and turned to face Jaune. Slamming the hammer into the edge of the ruined bridge, Jaune was once again thrown through the air. Halfway across, he saw Hood pass him by in the opposite direction.

"I'll leave it to you." Was all he heard before his back found the jagged stone again. Luckily, he had his aura to shield him now, but it still hurt like hell.

He stared at Hood who had landed on the other side and was currently making his way towards Snow Angel's side. Seriously? In the middle of a battle, you want to chat up a cute girl? That was low. He didn't even help these guys over here at all!

Jaune was vaguely aware of Black leaping up onto the Nevermore's back (when did she get all the way over there?) when the screeching behind him broke him from his thoughts. He definitely didn't like Hood now, but that would have to wait for later.

* * *

Ichika watched the Nevermore out of the corner of his eye as he made his way to his Masters side. She was currently using her 'Glyphs' to fire projectiles at the avian beast, but to no avail. They would need a lot more force to get through it's thick hide than what any of their weapons currently possessed. The raven haired girl who had been glaring at him earlier landed a ways away and shouted at them, "It's tougher than it looks!" Really? That's not good. It looked pretty tough to begin with. He cleared his throat behind Weiss to get her attention, startling the girl for a second, before she growled out, "What?" His eyes never left the giant bird as it circled around for another pass, "Nothing much, just hoping you had a plan." He watched her grit her teeth and focus her glyphs at the Nevermore again, "Working on it."

They fired everything they had at the creature, but nothing pierced its skin. With a mighty screech, it tore through the supports under them, again, and forced them to seek higher ground. Ichika used the falling rubble as a brace and shot up through the debris fairly quickly. Ruby landed next to him and he could see the gears in her head begin to turn as she tried to formulate a battle strategy, while the black haired girl and the blonde landed a ways away and began firing again, but, where was his Master?

He looked back over the edge to see her skating on her glyphs to reach them, however, something about the glyphs seemed different. They were beginning to become far too translucent for his liking. His fears were realized when her next glyph fractured beneath her and she began to fall. "Master!" He leapt off the bridge and shot towards the girl, who was frantically trying to stabilize herself, while dodging the remaining debris. When he reached her, he wrapped his arms under her legs and around her back in a bridal style carry before using the momentum to shift his body so that he could kick off a large chunk of stone and head back to the bridge.

He set her down on the ground when they landed and began watching the Nevermore again, "Are you alright?" She was a bit pale, which almost seemed impossible considering how pale she was to begin with, and her breathing was heavy. "I'm fine... uh, thank you though." He was mildly surprised at the words of gratitude, but decided not to comment on it, "None of this is working though." He agreed with a small nod, "So what do we do?" He was answered, not by his Master but by Ruby, "I've got a plan, cover me!" And she was off relaying, what he assumed was, her plan to the other girls. Man he hated enemies that could fly, he had only one ability that he could use against them but he didn't trust any of the people around him enough to use it.

He watched Yang sling more and more rounds into it, trying to keep its attention on her when Ruby appeared next to him, "Listen, I need you and Yang to distract it for a second while Weiss recovers enough Aura to trap it. Can you do that?" Ah! She plans to immobilize it. Clever girl. Behind him, he saw his Master still her breathing, no doubt trying to replenish her power. He rolled his shoulder, easing out what remained of the ache from dislocating it when he jumped from the back of the beast and grinned under his hood, "Fortunately for you, pissing off monsters is actually a hobby of mine." And off he went, finally ready to do something besides watch.

He ran towards the mountain, making sure he was out in the open before he turned and began taunting the creature, "Hey bird brain! Yeah, I'm talking to you feather head! Cmon over here, I was just starting to feel like eating some chicken!" Apparently, the Nevermore took great offense to being compared to a lesser fowl, because when the words left his mouth, the creature swiveled its head towards him and screeched before launching head first towards him. He glanced up at the blond girl, who had been waiting to see what he'd do, and nodded at her before hurling more insults at the beast. He was glad these things appeared to be slightly intelligent, otherwise he would have felt like an idiot for trying to insult a mindless animal.

* * *

Pyrrha wobbled around as the final supports for the bridge began to give way under them. "We need to move!" Without a second thought, she started running forward as soon as her partner spoke. He'd seemed a bit unimpressive to everyone else, but she saw his potential and decided to watch and see what he would do here.

It felt like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Four strangers who practically met mere hours ago began to attack, defend, and flow their movements together seamlessly! Even Jaune, who had been fumbling around earlier, was able to block a swipe from the Deathstalkers large claw. Enraged, it slammed its barbed stinger at them, but missed. The raven haired boy in green took advantage of the creatures angry stab and launched onto its tail, firing at the weakest point. Pyrrha heard the sound of something firing behind her and backed off just as a few grenade rounds pelted the Deathstalkers face.

Using its claws as a defense, the creature withstood the blows. The force, however, cause its tail to swing around violently, much to its riders discomfort. Seeing an opportunity, Pyrrha transformed Miló into spear form and launched it directly at it when it uncovered itself to resume attacking. Direct hit, right in the eye! Well, one of them anyways. Its body shook in pain as it roared angrily. The sudden movement caused the boy to lose his grip on the tail and was flung straight into a pillar, knocking the wind out of him. His pink partner called out to him, worried for his well being, "Ren!"

This was bad. One of them was incapacitated at the moment which left only three. She tried desperately to form a strategy to take the thing down, but she came up with nothing. Suddenly, she heard Jaune call out to her and followed his gaze to the Deathstalkers tail. The stinger end was barely hanging on by a small sinewy strand. "Done!" She flung Akoúo̱ at it, using her semblance to guide its flight and sliced through it. The stinger dropped and impaled itself into the bony skull of the beast. "Nora, nail it!" Again she was surprised, and slightly pleased, at how flawless their teamwork was at the moment. Jaune seemed like a natural born leader, despite his shortcomings, and she felt compelled to follow him. Nora understood his meaning and called out, "Heads up!" to Pyrrha before leaping into the air. Pyrrha raised her shield overhead catching the pink valkyrie and, combined with her own upward momentum from a well timed grenade round, launched her skyward. Nora reached her arc and began a quick descent, intent on finishing this now. Her hammer slammed the stinger straight into the creatures brain, also throwing the others into the air, over the Deathstalker, and onto safe ground.

Dusting themselves off, with the exception of a collapsed Ren, they turned around to see how the fight was going behind them.

* * *

When the hooded guy starting screaming insults at the Nevermore, Yang had thought he was just an idiot. These things are just mindless animals, incapable of registering any type of- _"RAAAAAAAAAAA!" _Or, maybe they have something against chicken? Anyways, it certainly got the Nevermore to charge right at him. Why was he nodding at her? He's distracting it pretty well, and using some pretty interesting combinations of words. What was she supposed to-

She looked at the mountain behind him and put two and two together.

She grinned widely as she thought quickly about her next action. Leaping into the air, she landed on top of the birds head just as it was passing by her. "Time to tenderize this overgrown turkey!" She laughed and began to slam her fists into the back of the Nevermores skull. The sudden pain, and disorientation caused the creature to try and alter its course so it could deal with this new nuisance. However, it could not focus enough to realize it was headed straight for the cliff face. Just like Yang was hoping. She jumped once again just as it slammed into the mountain and landed next to the hooded guy, who gave her a smirk and a small nod. "Get ready!" They turned to see Weiss racing towards them, telling them to get back. They both wasted no time in making their way towards the rest of their group, ready for the next part of Ruby's crazy plan. Admittedly, Yang wasn't too keen about this part, but she trusted her baby sister so she would see it through.

Blake held onto one end of Gambol Shroud and tossed the other end to Yang, stretching it between two pillars to form a giant slingshot. Ruby leaped into the air and, using the blunt edge so as not to cut the ribbon, used Crescent Rose to draw the ribbon tight. Weiss, who had already returned from freezing the Nevermores tail in place, used a gravity manipulation glyph to further draw Ruby back to gain the most efficient speed. "Only you would come up with this idea." Are you never pleased, Ice Queen? Why can't you just... chill? Yang grinned even wider at the, in her 'humble' opinion, pure comedic gold that was her puns. "Do you have a better plan, Master?" Master? What kind of kinky bdsm stuff do these two have going on? "...No." Yang would definitely have to look into that later. Ah, Ruby is ready to launch, it's go time!

* * *

The collective thoughts of everyone present when the Nevermore was finally take down could quite literally be summed up in one word, which the resident blonde knight was more than happy to provide, "Wow..." With both threats resolved, the nine teens made their way up the mountain and back to Beacon for the final ceremony.

* * *

"Ms. Schnee. May I have a word with you, please? The rest of your team may await you in your new dorm, which Ms. Goodwitch will be assigning shortly." Weiss stopped and turned to look at the headmaster, with his ever present coffee mug, who was watching both her and Ichika with a curious expression. They both made their way towards the older man who simply motioned for them to follow him. Weiss was more than a little concerned as they walked through the halls behind the man. Was this because of Ichika? Was there some sort of rule that she forgot that prohibited summoning a servant during the initiation? Was she going to be expelled!? She was so overworked that she almost jumped out of her skin when Ichika finally spoke to her.

"Your world sure is strange..." He was visibly more relaxed, content with observing his surroundings until they reached their destination, though people were looking at him oddly, considering his hood was still up. "What do you mean? How is my world different from yours?" They passed by the courtyard at that moment, other students milling about while there was still sunlight, enjoying the rest of their day. He stopped walking and watched them go about their business, the sun setting in the background. "Your world... feels so warm." Warm...?

_**What possible part of this cruel world is warm? This world that wishes for nothing more than to destroy any form of happiness.**_

"Ms. Schnee, please hurry along. I'm sure you wish to get better acquainted with your team as soon as possible." Weiss blanched, 'Oh please. My team couldn't possibly be any worse-' She made the mistake of looking back to the courtyard and saw Jaune carrying his bags towards his dorm, at least he was until one of the straps from his bag got caught under his foot. His bags went flying as his body made contact with the ground for the umpteenth time that day. 'Okay, I stand corrected. I still think I should have been the leader though...' They continued on, ready to face the headmasters questions, which no doubt pertained to the raven haired boy beside her.

* * *

Ozpin sat behind his desk, the sound of gears methodically bumping against each other around them. Most people wouldn't think that such a sound would be peaceful, but Ozpin wasn't most people. Glynda stood behind him, her permanent scowl taking on a curious and worried tone. When they first entered the office he had asked the two to sit and wait for her to join them, Weiss gladly accepting the offer while the boy politely declined, since it was better for her to hear it now and ask her questions rather than try to beat them out of him. Ozpin wasn't scared of many things, but when that woman is angry... let's just say, even without aura, a riding crop is a very painful weapon.

Taking his standard "interrogation" posture, which consisted of him placing his elbows on the desk and resting his mouth on his clasped hands, he began, "So, Ms. Schnee. First off, impressive work taking down that Nevermore. Your skill with Dust is remarkable, though I suppose that is to be expected from the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." He noticed her posture stiffen, and her expression darken slightly. 'Hmm, it seems that is a particularly sore spot for her.' He turned his gaze to the other youth who stood behind her. The boy returned his look with an even stare of his own. "However, I did not call you here to congratulate you as I'm sure you are already aware." The girl tensed for a split second, and relaxed again. 'Impressive. No doubt that she was drilled constantly on keeping herself calm in situations like this.' "That being said, why don't you start from the beginning?"

"Well sir, to be honest, I'm not sure of all the details myself. I think Ichika would be able to answer better than I can." So his name is Ichika. "Well then, could you explain your rather sudden appearance?" The boy regarded him silently for a few seconds before removing his hood. Ozpin frowned slightly as he took in the boys appearance. He was young, only around nineteen, and already had the look of someone who has seen far too much of the worlds cruelty. The boy spoke up, "I can only tell you what you need to know. Anything else is to be discussed with my Master in private." The clicking of heels was enough of an indication to Ozpin that Glynda wasn't satisfied with that, "We 'need' to know everything, so you will tell us everything." He didn't even look in her direction when he spoke, "What you need to know is that I was summoned here from a rift in between time and space called, 'the void', by this girl here." He motioned to Weiss, "Her voice called out to me and I answered, forming a contract between us." Ozpin quickly spoke up, to avoid letting Glynda lose her temper, "Contract? And what exactly is this contract?" Ichika closed his eyes in thought, no doubt deciding exactly how much to tell them, "A bond of sorts. I am to be her sword and shield until she fulfills her wish, her wish being the reason she summoned me."

Ozpin nodded, showing that he understood. "And when the contract is complete?" He answered without hesitation, "Then there will no longer be any need for me to remain here. Upon completion of the contract, I will return to the place I came from." Glynda frowned, "This place you come from, this 'void', what is it exactly." He didn't answer immediately, but when he did it was not what she wanted to hear, "I already told you. It is a rift, a gateway of sorts. Other than that, I cannot tell you, because you do not 'need' to know." 'Please don't provoke her,' Ozpin silently pleaded and raised his hand to stop the huntress from tearing him a new one, "We understand, however, I have one final question." Ichika waited for him to continue, "You say you are here to defend Ms. Schnee, correct?" He nodded. "What about the other students here? I cannot stand aside if you intend any of them harm. Regardless of the circumstances, if you should turn on any of them, I will not hesitate to erase you where you stand." The young girl in front of him shrank back, her calm facade temporarily shattered by his forceful declaration. Even Glynda herself took a small step back. It had been quite a long time since she'd seen him this serious. The boy, however, did not flinch or show any visible signs of discomfort. Instead, his eyes seemed to brighten a bit. In his gaze, Ozpin could see a sliver of respect being directed towards him. "As it should be. However, on that same basis, should any of your students seek to harm my Master, I will deem them my enemy and destroy them without a second thought."

They stared intently at each other now, neither willing to back down from their claims. The silence continued before Ozpin let a small smile appear on his face, "Very well. Then let us hope it should never come to that." Ichika nodded, "Agreed. However, I wish to make a request." Ozpin motioned for him to continue, "Due to the nature of the contract, and for practicality, I need to be close to my Master at all times. Within reason, of course." The older man agreed, "Ah, yes. Unfortunately, one room can only hold a maximum of four people. All adjacent rooms are taken as well. Reassigning students to a different room will take some time." Ichika waved his hand dismissively, "I can manage until then. Is that all the questions you had for me? I must go over the details of the contract with my Master as soon as possible." Glynda, regaining her composure, took a step forward, "Of course not! You are not leaving until you tell us every-" Ozpin cut her off, "Yes, you may go now. Congratulations again, Ms. Schnee. I look forward to watching your progress. Yours as well, Ichika." He watched them leave silently before turning to face the now visibly upset huntress, "If you keep making a face like that, it will become permanent." She simply sighed and relaxed, "Are you sure this is the right choice? What if he-" He stood up from his chair and grabbed his cane from where it was resting before walking over to the window to watch the students below, "There is no such thing as surety, Glynda. Only time will tell if the choice was wrong or right. Until then, we must simply wait. Besides, just from that simple exchange, I can already tell that he would not harm any of these children." Ozpin took a sip from his mug, 'Still, better to be safe than sorry.'

* * *

Weiss had immediately questioned him as soon as they were out of earshot, but he told her that he would answer her questions tomorrow when she was more focused. Despite wanting to get through explanations quickly, he really didn't feel like having to repeat himself over and over. She tried to argue that she was perfectly focused when she was interrupted by her own yawning. "Like I said, we will speak tomorrow when you're not tired. Today was pretty hectic for you, I'll bet." She didn't respond, instead, opting to glare to the side and pout seeing that she had lost the argument. They walked in silence for a while, consumed in their own thoughts. During her musings, she came upon a realization. "Why did you help us on the bridge?" He stopped walking and turned to face her, the look on his face saying, "Seriously? Are you an idiot?" Oh, he'd said that out loud. "Idiot!? How am _I_ the idiot, idiot?! When Ruby was about to be mauled by that Deathstalker, you didn't budge at all, but on the bridge you helped us take down the Nevermore! Why!?" Her voice escalated the longer she spoke.

His facial expression didn't change, however, and he spoke to her as if the answer should be obvious, "Simply put, she isn't my master. Therefore, her life is not important to me." Weiss was taken aback at his rather cold statement, but before she could reply, he continued, "It appears my earlier assumptions of you are correct. You have no idea what I am nor what my purpose is, when the process of summoning a servant is supposed to be intentional, something you study and understand completely before attempting. Yet somehow or another you, a complete novice, summoned me by accident. Very well, I will tell you something about servants that you would do well to never forget. Your world, the people in it, the politics, wars, factions, dreams, and desires mean nothing to us. Every life is expendable, every person a potential enemy. We protect our master, and our master only. You ask me why I did not step in to save Ruby? She rushed in to a fight she was ill prepared for, so she must suffer the consequences. If those consequences result in her death, so be it."

Rather than back down, the Heiress felt her temper flair up, "Oh? So that whole scene in the woods when we first met, what was that!? You defended her, comforted her, and then left her to die! If you really meant what you just said, then your actions are pretty contradictory!" She was glaring at him now, daring him to refute her claim. He just watched her for a moment, and then started to laugh. A cold, tired, cynical laugh. "Yes, you're right. I guess that makes me a hypocrite. However, what does that say about you?" Her glare intensified, "What are you talking about?" He folded his arms across his chest looking like a parent lecturing a child, "You yourself were angry with her and berating her for leaving you to fight on your own. Was it not your own fault that she was not at your side? That she felt the need to prove herself?" He turned and began walking down the hallway again, "Remove the beam from your eye before trying to remove the splinter from mine." And just like that, her anger was cooled and replaced with confusion and guilt. She silently followed him, folding in on herself as she did.

**_Maybe I am a hypocrite, too._**

* * *

It wasn't until they entered the student building that she spoke up again, "Wait, where are we going?" "Isn't it obvious, to your room." He could feel her rolling her eyes at him, "We don't know which room that is, idiot. The headmaster didn't tell us." He said nothing and continued on through the halls before stopping in front of a door, "Well? Are you going to knock?" She growled at him and knocked, about to argue that this couldn't possibly be her room when the door flung open revealing her teammates. Before they had a chance to say anything, she slammed the door shut. "How did- when did- there's no way you could have-" He decided that now was as good a time as any to reveal the first of many surprises he had to show her. Relaxing completely, two furry appendages sprouted from underneath his hair. He watched her jaw hang open with a small smirk before turning to the side and letting his tail poke out from under his coat. "Well, call it animal instinct. Wolves are particularly good at tracking scent, and Ruby was easy to identify."

*crash*

The door flung open again and her team piled out, trying to wake her up and ask what was wrong. She just mumbled incoherently about faunus. By then, however, he was already gone. Back outside, he made his way silently to the roof above their room and settled on the stone for the night. He bundled up in his coat, a bit of nostalgia hitting him when he remembered how often he had slept like this before. "Another journey in a strange world. No rest for the wicked, eh Sara?" He pulled a necklace out from under his shirt, and gently ran his finger over the object attached to it, taking some small comfort in its presence before falling asleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day.


	4. What is a Servant?

**Annnnnd preview time! A new dream, and some more interaction between Weiss and Ichika.**

**To answer your question a bit more, StealthSymphony, the idea of the void came from my own head. If it seems close to something already existing, it's unintentional. Im trying to be as original as I can (following the canon beginning notwithstanding). That being said, i am drawing influence heavily from the Fate/Stay series and Zero no Tsukaima series, though I wont be copying either one completely. Hopefully, as the story progresses, it will make sense.**

**Welp, for now, please enjoy this small preview while I work on the rest of this chapter!**

**Some of you may remember what I said earlier about Ichika being sidelined throughout the fic. After Monty passed, and reading some of the things he's said over the years, I realized that what I was doing was limiting myself. I was tying my hands to try and make a fic that i thought people would enjoy. I realized, that a fic isn't enjoyable for anyone, if the author themselves hate what they wrote. That being said, I do enjoy all the fics I've written so far (A Link to the Present: Final is in the works! Not sure about the Spin off series a few suggested though...) but I tried to write things that I believed appealed to everyone else. When I envision this fic, I see lots of interactions between Ichika and all of the cast of RWBY, but I squashed those images because I thought no one wanted to read a story with your stereotypical, "My character shows up, is a total boss, and everyone loves him!" (Not saying every fic is like that, some self-insert/oc character fics are amazing! The ones i've read anyway.) So from now on, I'm going to follow Monty's advice and 'Keep moving forward' writing this story and all future stories the way I see fit. (I'll still take any advice/ criticism into consideration. But I will not limit myself because of it.)**

**MY MUSE HAS RETURNED WITH A VENGEANCE!**

**A line break denotes a change in POV.**

**And Bold Print are Weiss' feelings. (Not thoughts.)**

_**Bold Italics are telepathy.**_

* * *

_**"I think there are many things in this world we are better off not knowing.**_

_**Sometimes the truth is the cruelest thing of all.**_

_**Not everyone can bear it." ~Maria Akitsuki, Shinsekai Yori**_

* * *

_She had thought that, with the arrival of the one from her dream, she could finally enjoy a peaceful rest. She was, of course, wrong._

_And so, she dreamed of flames._

_There was fire everywhere. The flames lashed out at anything it could to prolong its burning fury. She couldn't breathe. The smoke hurt her lungs. She could hear the screams of the dying, calling out for help only to be suddenly silenced. Large shadows darted about within the flames. Is this what hell was like? This inferno of pain and suffering? _

_"Mommy! Where are you!?" She whipped around, the child's voice seeming to come from behind her. A small, frail looking boy staggered about towards her. He looked no older than six, and somehow familiar. She noticed a pair of furry ears laid back on his head and a small fluffy tail that he was holding in his hands, seemingly for comfort. "Mommy! I'm scared!" The boy called out again, his voice almost lost in the roaring fire. Once again, she could not speak or move. A low, feral growl pierced through the crackling flames, causing the boy to freeze. His eyes widened in fear as he turned towards the large shadow looming over him. She wanted to move, to grab the boy and run, but she could not. She could only watch. "A bad d-demon! No, go away! Go away!" The sound coming from the beast could almost be considered laughter. "Sorry kid, orders are orders. Die cursing the world for your misfortune." The beast raised its wicked claws and slashed down, tearing through the boys chest. His blood spurted out and he collapsed without another sound._

_The beast laughed, cleaning it's claws by licking the blood off, "Ah, the blood of a child. Delicious." It continued, seemingly unbothered by the flames around it, more interested in the peculiar taste of the blood. "Hmm... something about this is... wait a minute! This is-!?" As it was speaking, the temperature dropped sharply, despite the fire raging around it. She found that she was able to look around now, and focused on the boy who was beginning to emit a dark aura. The demon was watching as well with a mixture of interest and caution, "Boy... who are you?" The dark aura erupted around him with an unearthly wail that chilled her to the bone. The boy rose from his back, slowly, like he was being lifted by some invisible force. He fell forward on his hands and let out a low growl. _

_"Heheh... hahaha... Ahahahaha! What a hypocrite you are, brat! You called me an evil demon, yet your own spirit is as tainted as my own!" The boy said nothing, his tail now swishing around in anticipation. His eyes were as blazing red as the flames around him. "Hehe, come boy! Let's see what you- huh!?" In a single instant, the boy was gone. "What!? Where did you- Guhua!?" More blood splattered the ground around them as the demon was torn apart in a single strike. Hearing the commotion, other shadows appeared in the flames. The boy didn't move, even when they began to charge. When they were finally on top of him, he vanished once more._

_Blood rained down on the remains of the village. And when the smoke settled, a child could be heard crying to the heavens._

* * *

Again, Weiss found herself jolting awake covered in a cold sweat. "Are you serious...? Can I not just have one night of peaceful sleep!?" She grumbled to herself, shaking the images from her head. Dwelling on them now would do her no good. "Still, that was so weird." _**'Are you always so noisy in the mornings?'**_ "Waaaah!?" *thud* The young heiress found herself on the ground now, staring at the ceiling. "Who's there!?" _**'I see. You're also a bit slow aren't you?' **_She leapt to her feet at that, "I am not slow! Who do you think you are to call me- ah?" Slowly, the memories of yesterday come rushing back to her. The initiation, the battle, and of course, Him.

"Oh no... so that wasn't a bad dream after all?" She heard Ichka's voice in her mind, scoffing, _**'Oh believe me, short stack, I'm just as thrilled as you are. Now would you open the window please? I really don't feel like breaking in.' **_"I can't help that I'm short, you overgrown jerk!" She almost continued her tirade when she realized something. How was he talking to her, if he wasn't in the room? _**'If you'd open the window, like I asked, I could explain that.' **_He can read her thoughts!? "I can't let you in right now! Everyone in here is sleep... ing?" As she was speaking she glanced around the room, only to find the other beds empty. _**'Yeah, they left just before you woke up. Apparently, they needed to collect the rest of their personal items. From what I could hear anyways. Now, seriously, open this window or I'm gonna break it down.' **_Moving over to the window quickly, she opened it up, cool air blowing in. She would have stepped out to enjoy the view a bit if Ichika hadn't dropped down from the roof right in front of her. "Jeez, took you long enough." She took in his appearance once again, as if confirming he did indeed exist. Yep. Same black, full length hooded coat, though he left the hood down.

Stepping into the room, and past the heiress, he allowed his furry ears poke out from under his hair again while letting loose a small sigh of relief. He stretched, and loosened his joints with a few satisfying pops before turning around to face his 'charge'. Who was currently staring at him. Staring at him rather oddly, in fact. "It's not polite to stare you know." She blinked a few times before huffing, folding her arms, and glaring at the wall, "I wasn't staring." He gave her a blank look before opening the link he had to his master. Slowly, he felt the pull of magic syncing his mind with hers though she didn't feel it, apparently. _**'Is it possible...? No way. It couldn't be. But they look so similar...' **_"Who do I look similar to?" She went rigid when he asked the question, leaving him slightly amused at her response. "N-no one! Stop reading my thoughts, Perv!" Ichika felt his eye twitch, "Perv? What about that is perverted?" Shaking his head, he motioned for her to sit on one of the beds, himself currently standing in the middle of the room. She eyed him suspiciously for a minute, before finally giving in and sitting down, smoothing out her nightgown as she did so. "So, you promised me an explanation." He nodded and took a moment to collect his thoughts.

* * *

"First off, I think I should explain the 'finer details' of the contract itself." She was silent, so he continued, "The contract is a type of binding magic. My soul is bound to you through this magic, and your will gives me form." She cocked her head to the side at this, "So, my will gave you 'form'? What does that mean, I control what you look like?" Ichika shook his head, "No, it means that your will, or magic power, allows me to maintain a physical form. As a servant, I need my master to supply me with power." She nods, understanding his explanation, "What happens if I run out?" "Then the amount that I have at that time would have to suffice until you regain it. Otherwise, my soul will not be able to sustain itself, and I will vanish." He watched her process the information carefully. "What would happen then?" He frowns a bit before answering, "I if die, or disappear, before the contract is complete, then it would be considered a failure on my part. Everything that I am, would cease to exist. Both in this world, and the next. I would simply, vanish."

Her reaction was just as he expected it to be. She was completely dumbstruck with fear. Not for him, per say, but at the very thought of what he just told her. A living being cannot imagine what it feels like to just cease to be, just as much as a human cannot imagine life without timekeeping. The idea that you could vanish like that, to have your consciousness fade from existence, is terrifying. He himself also felt that same fear. "T-that's..." He sighed, there was more explaining to do so he could not allow her to stay caught up in this particular piece of information, "Simply put, as long as you control your power output, and I don't make any mistakes when it comes to a fight, then it will be fine. Now, moving on, I think we should discuss what servants are and what they are not." He really wanted to make this particular point clear, as the girl was apparently of some noble status, so as to avoid any... misunderstandings of what their partnership was.

"When I say I am a 'servant', I don't mean a slave or some personal assistant to be at your beck and call. I am a weapon, a tool. Weapons do not wash clothes, cook, or anything of the sort. The defend, they destroy, and they fight. Any such requests will immediately be refused." She looked confused at this, "So, you're a servant... that doesn't take orders?" Ichika shakes his head, "No, well not exactly. Orders related to your safety and well being, I'm bound to obey. Orders like, 'Catch me!' or 'Intercept this attack for me!' for instance." Although he didn't want to divulge this particular bit of information, it was deemed necessary by the old man so he had no choice, "However, there is... an exception of sorts." He sighs, "Once every seven days, a contractor can issue one Absolute Command. Using this forces a servant to carry out what the contractor says regardless of what the servant thinks of it. It strips away our free will until the command is fulfilled." It was the one rule he never agreed with. When he first entered the void and read the rules of contracts, he vehemently refused to follow any such orders. Such power over a person, could lead to terrible consequences. "Activation is fairly simple. Focus all of your will into your words and say, 'By my right as your Master, I order you,' and give your command. However, despite what it sounds like, this ability isn't all-powerful and some kinds of orders can be resis-"

"So what you're saying is..." She trailed off in a way that he didn't like. "Right now, I could order you to become completely obedient!" Ichika leveled a glare in her direction, "Master, perhaps I should go into a bit further detail before you-" She wasn't listening anymore, closing her eyes so that she could focus, "Alright! By my right as your Master," Ichika tried to stop her, "Master, think about this for a second! I haven't fully explained-" He felt her magic power begin to swirl around, waiting to be unleashed. Despite the circumstances, he found himself entranced by the feel of her magic. It was cold, but not freezing, like a gentle breeze that signals the coming fall. He could see it now, a pure white aura enveloping her casting an ethereal glow over the room.

* * *

Weiss felt odd as she chanted the command. Like something inside her was awakening. It was different from aura, which was a manifestation of her soul. It felt like she was drawing energy from the life around her, bringing it into herself and amplifying it with her aura. She felt... powerful. She could feel the energy building inside her, waiting for her to direct it. "I order you to ob-!" *WHACK!* "OW!? What the hell was that for!?" Weiss dropped to her knees rubbing the sore spot on the top of her head where Ichika had chopped her with a book he found on the ground. "Ichika Chop. Level 1." He calmly stated before placing the book back on the shelf. 'Level one? There are other levels?' He was standing over her now with an odd expression on his face. "First, you have to be the biggest idiot I know to waste something as powerful and advantageous as an Absolute Command on something as vague and unobtainable as complete obedience." She narrowed her eyes at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

**I'm inexperienced, not an idiot. I'm not worthless.**

He folded his arms again, in what she dubbed was his 'stuck up teacher' pose, and continued, "No magic is powerful enough to completely control a person's free will. That is divine territory, something magic can never cross. I was about to explain that when you started chanting. Secondly, did you honestly think i'd just sit back and wait for you to fling around a spell like that with your lack of knowledge on the subject?" She was about to retort when she stopped to consider his words. What if she wasn't actually doing it right? What would happen then? She could have been about to blow the room to pieces for all she knew. "Ok, I'll give you that one. But what did you expect!? From the start, you haven't listened to a word I said, ignored me, and sided against me in the forest! Then suddenly you tell me there is a way to get you to be a bit more polite. If anyone is an idiot here, it's you!"

They stood there glaring at each other for a while. Then, Weiss saw him smirk. Not a cold smirk like she saw before, or a sneer. An honest, this is kinda funny, smirk. "Fair enough, Master. However, remember this; show a person power, and they will fear you. Show them respect, and they will follow you. Which brings me to my final point." Weiss just watches him as he extends his hand to help her up, which she hesitantly accepts. His expression changes as he does so, and it leaves her a bit stunned at the suddenness of it. It almost looked like... pride. "Without any training whatsoever, you were able to channel magic power. Even the most powerful spellcasters in my world had to train for days to feel the magic power in the world around them before they could even cast a single spell. Yet, you were doing it as if you'd been casting for years. Not only that, but the sheer quantity of it almost scared me. It was impressive to be sure, but also dangerous." She was standing in front of him now, looking up at him as he continued to speak, "So, I'll make you a deal. You have earned a bit of my respect, but I'm still not convinced that you are completely capable. So, whenever you do something I consider worthy of my respect, I'll give you one free command. It isn't a spell, but a request that I will not refuse. An Absolute Request. In exchange, you are not to try and overwrite my will unless absolutely necessary. Deal?"

She didn't speak, still struck at his change of character. He looked kinder now. Not cold, angry, and tired like when she first met him. He looked more like the man in her dream. Realizing he was waiting for an answer she withdrew her hand from his, which hadn't moved since they'd stood up, she coughed into her hand and straightened up, "Deal."

**I'm inexperienced, but I will learn. I'm not as strong as I want to be, but I will become stronger. **

* * *

He almost smiles at her. Almost. But then he see's 'her' face in his mind, his hands covered with 'her' blood, and his shell snaps back into place. "Good. If you can manage not to screw up for at least 10 minutes, that will be a miracle in itself." And she's yelling at him again. She tries to get in his face, but slips on one of the papers that she'd scattered throughout the room and plows into his stomach head first, "OOF-!?" *Thump!* knocking them both over. "Ow... see? Not even ten min... utes..." She's on top of him now, both frozen like startled deer. She's so small and pale, like a porcelain doll. Her legs are on either side of his stomach when she sits up. 'This is a bit awkward... well, not as awkward as it could be. At least no one else is-' "Well well well, I knew something was up with you two. Gotta say Ms. Schnee, that position looks pretty 'Neiss'." Oh come on! Seriously!? "Th- this isn't...! We weren't...! It's not what it looks like!" Ichika sighed. Ah well, might as well have some fun, "Yeah. If you'd have waited a few minutes, it would have been better." *SMACK!* "Shut up, Pervert!"

* * *

It was a rocky start. But even the smoothest stone had sharp edges. Only time will tell if this partnership will become something great, or crumble and fall apart.

* * *

**Character Profile: Weiss Schnee**

**Age: 17**

**Height: 5'3"**

**Occupation: Student, Huntress-in-training, Contract Holder.**

**Abilities: Aura and Glyph Semblance, Beginner level magic.**

*** Overall Rating: B**

***Current skill level. F=Lowest. SSS=Highest.**

**In loving memory of Monty Oum. I never knew him personally, but without his talent, imagination, and personality, RWBY wouldn't exist. We love you Monty, and although you aren't here with us anymore, your memory will always be with us. This one's for you, my friend.**


	5. Blake's Suspicions

**Alright Ladies and Gents the fanfic you didn't want or need has finally updated! Now to get on with actually getting a schedule together so i can do this regularly ;-; but I digress. Enjoy, R&amp;R, live life to the fullest, and keep being awesome!**

* * *

Weiss was not in a good mood.

Despite learning a great deal about what was going on she had yet to learn of Ichika himself. This desire only stemming from her need to determine if he was or was not the man from her dream, or deal with him if he was not. Honestly he was already shaping up to be a major headache. In the span of only twenty minutes he had given the blonde devil, Yang, a means of mercilessly teasing them because of one smart aleck remark he made after they had been found in a rather... uncompromising situation.

Seriously, she only tripped!

The vixen had even gone so far as to accuse her of illicit relations with that... beast! And what was his answer to all of it? A wave and some poor excuse about 'letting you have girl bonding time' before leaping out of the window.

So much for being inconspicous.

Now, here she was, staring down two sets of eyes that looked eager to gleen any sort of 'juicy' information about her 'secret faunus lover.' Wait, is he even a Faunus? Come to think of it, he did say he was from a different world. She would have to ask him later, after she froze him solid for a few hours to think about what he's done. Ah, off topic. The only other on her team who, in her opinion, was tolerable decided to leave her to the beowolves. How cruel, Blake.

She sighed for the umpteenth time that morning, "For the last, and I do mean LAST, time nothing is going on between us. Seriously, I literally met him yesterday! This isn't some cheesy romantic comedy!"

(Says you...)

"Says you," (hey thats my line!) Yang grinned. "I mean hey, all things considered, he is pretty easy on the eyes. Not my type though, gives off some bad vibes, but if you're into the whole bad boy thing, I won't judge." She wiggled her eyebrows at that.

Ugh.

"Wait, why were you laying on top of him then? Dad said that's how babies are made. Aren't you too young to have a baby!? Plus, wouldn't that get in the way of being a huntress?!"

Ah, Ruby. Seriously, why Ozpin decided that someone so naive, careless, and childish deserved to be a leader she'd never know. Weiss felt her fist clench tighter. 'That should have been me!' Relaxing a bit, she decided to try and explain to the girl that her assumptions were way off.

"Ruby, as much as I feel that you need a serious birds and the bees talk, I'm not even going to begin to explain how wrong that is. Er, well, it's not completely wrong... but.. Ah I'm not having this conversation!" Standing up, she grabs her clothes and heads to the bathroom to change. She doesn't really have a problem changing in front of other girls but...

'Wow, Weiss, I knew you were flat but...'

'It's okay Weiss! I was that small too! Well, a few years ago I was...'

And she crushed those thoughts with extreme prejudice and began changing once she is safely inside. This day could not get any worse...

* * *

After the... awkward scene of the schnee heiress on top of, what she presumed was, her bodyguard (?) Blake finally figured out what was bothering her about him.

He was a dog.

No seriously, despite how cliche it seemed, he was a dog faunus. Or so she thought, but then again there were other weird things about him as well, and Blake was not one to pass up an opportunity to uncover a secret. Besides, she needed to be sure he wasn't a danger, to herself or her team. Even if she hadn't known them long, beacon was supposed to be her chance to turn over a new leaf and use her skills to change relations between humans and faunus. If that meant protecting the heiress of her peoples greatest enemy, so be it. Bodyguard or not, he gave off really bad vibes.

Her old White Fang instincts kicked in when she began tailing him through the corridors. She was initially surprised, however, that he left his ears and tail out in full display to the world. Was it overconfidence that no one could hurt him or simply apathy? She decided to save those thoughts for later and continued to follow him.

The early morning sunshine washed over the courtyard, promising a warm day ahead. It was quite fortunate that most of the students were allowed two days to get to know their team before classes started as it left the hallways and atrium's mostly empty. That, or bad writing on the authors part. Regardless, keeping track of him was easy, but she also had to deal with the fact that the slightest noise could alert him. Silence could be just as much of an enemy as a friend.

She allowed herself to peak around the corner of one of the many tall pillars decorating the walkways between each complex. The wind blew softly past her, causing her hair to tickle her face. At first glance, Beacon looked something like a giant castle which, in Blake's opinion, wasn't too far from the truth. However, the grounds were actually sectioned off to allow students to find their way around fairly easily, depending on what they were searching for. For instance, the dorms were their own complex situated on the far left of the main structure. The building itself was divided into four floors, one floor for each student year. Instead of students moving up a floor after each year completed, however, they simply kept the same room for all four years. When they finished their final year, they would vacate their rooms and the new students would take over residence for their four years. This was made apparent as Team RWBY's dorm was situated on the third floor.

From there the campus was arranged in a sort of fan shape with the auditorium, as well as the teachers dorms, faculty rooms, and headmasters office in the center. The bodyguard, Ichika, was heading towards the far right where the classes were held. Aside from the large tower, where Professor Ozpin's office is located, this was the largest building on campus. Spanning six floors, every class available to the students was held here not to mention other facilities such as the armory for equipment repair and Library for gathering the necessary reading to complete certain assignments as well as for recreational purposes. They did not stock any Ninja's of Love, a point that Blake intended to bring to Ozpin's attention later. It was a very well written smu- book that people should have access to!

She ducked behind another pillar, ignoring the odd looks from a few older students who happened to walk by. She was only concerned with the dog-man she was currently tailing. No pun intended. It appeared that he was heading in the direction of the library. This piqued her curiosity far more than simply trying to determine whether he was friend or foe. What reason could he possibly have for going to the library? Futhermore, how does he know where it is? The second question she chalked up to him having some kind of map so that he could find Weiss easily. Still, it made her even more suspicious. She continued pursuit, unaware of the man quite a ways off sipping calmly from the cup in his hand.

She continued around the corner once she made it inside only to see the end of his coat pass through the doorway into the library. Slowly she inched her way to the door and glanced inside. It was a wondrous sight to see! Shelves and shelves of books ranging from history to aura manipulation theory to fiction. She almost forgot why she was here in the first place (or why she wasn't here to begin with) simply overcome by the desire to dive into a stack of books and simply spend the day in her own little world. Shaking herself out of the trance, her bright eyes roamed her immediate surroundings. The shelves blocked most of her line of sight so she took to ducking around corners and peering through the shelves, searching for her quarry. She finally spotted him talking to a young looking, rabbit faunus girl in what appeared to be the **Historical War Studies **section.

"...-if you could point me in the right direction," he finished asking just as she got close enough to hear. She looked a bit spooked but otherwise seemed to answer his questions willingly and pointed, "Ah- yes, its over that way about three shelves past the **Mythology **section. Is that all...?" He turned towards the place she had pointed and nodded, "Yes, thank you, Ms. Velvetina." Even as he was turning around she was already gone, almost relieved to be away from him. He made his way down the shelves and turned the corner.

"So i'm not crazy, he really is giving off a bad feeling. Even other people can pick up on it..." She frowned, pleased that she wasn't simply paranoid but also worried that he might be dangerous. So engrossed with her thoughts she almost let out a scream when she heard a voice from behind her, "Do you have some sort of hobby of following people around like a stalker? There are some who wouldn't take very kindly to it..." she whipped around and came face to face with Ichika. From the look on his face and the subtle twitch of his ears she could tell he was not amused with her. "Now, why don't we have a little chat, hm?"

How did he know she was following him...!?

* * *

Ichika watched the girl across from him, his expression somewhere between bored and irritated, but made no attempt to break the silence. She stared back with a practiced neutral expression.

_'She's had training alright...' _Although he said nothing outwardly, he was quite impressed with her abilities. She possessed no small amount of skill in the art of stealth and infiltration, even if she made a rookie mistake. She should have accounted for the direction of the wind, especially when it was blowing towards her quarry. He caught her scent in the courtyard and, after entering the building and hearing the soft click of a door long after he had passed through it, he knew she was following him. But, well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats.

Yes, he was well aware of the appendages hidden underneath that bow. In all honesty, he isn't sure if she thinks it's really that clever, or if the people here are seriously that easily deceived. Then again, considering his own animalistic attributes, he supposes that could be too harsh of a conclusion.

But still, they move **all** the time.

Turning his attention away from his inner musings and back to the impromptu staring contest, however, he wonders just how long she intends to stay so silent and tense. Sure he's irritated that, in only a few short hours, he's managed to gain unwanted attention but that irritation is towards himself. He can't help that his magic power radiates from his body like an odor and causes uneasiness. His mouth creases deeper into a frown without realizing it, _'If "they" had simply not messed around with things they didn't comprehend I suppose my magic wouldn't nearly be as unpleasantly unstable as it is,' _he snuffed out the bitterness in his thoughts before they had a chance to register on his face. Still, it helped him in his particular field. People tended to give up information willingly if they feared for their lives. But this young girl had heart and, judging by her expression, had seen much of the worlds cruelty. Such tactics would not work on her. So he would wait and watch until she was ready to-

"Who are you?" Her golden orbs were locked onto his, daring him to answer with anything short of the complete truth.

He blinked a few times, the directness throwing him off for a second. "Well, you're certainly to the point." He didn't bother asking why she wanted to know. It was a fair question, but one that he could not answer completely. The Servant Contract forbade him from divulging his identity or information of other realities and worlds aside from the one he currently resided in. Still he felt she would pick up on an outright lie fairly easily, so he went with a different tactic.

"Simply a caretaker of sorts. I was instructed to maintain the safety and well being of the young Miss." While not a lie, it certainly wasn't the whole truth. He could only hope she didn't press it further. While he wasn't above killing her if she tried to dig too deep it probably wouldn't go over well with his Master. Or the headmaster for that matter.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she silently judged him. He withstood her glare with an impassive expression until, finally, she relaxed a little. "Alright."

Well, that was easier than he though- "Ichika!" and the universe delivers a hard punchline from out of nowhere. He stood and smoothed out his robes, nodding once to the raven haired girl, "Well as... 'fun' as this was it seems my Ma- , the young miss requires my presence. If you'll excuse me." He removes himself from the table and slowly makes his way to the noisy little girl he was saddled with. Honestly, he just needed a few books or scrolls that gave a detailed history of this world. Even a simple map would suffice. It was only because he bumped into Ozpin shortly after leaving Weiss behind that morning that he was able to find this place. He would be at a tactical disadvantage should they need to escape or defend this place in the event of an attack. From these so called 'Grimm' or other servants.

Because if there was one thing he learned while he was alive; where there was one oddity, more would soon appear. Finally reaching his fuming master, he thought he felt something tug at his consciousness. He would need to get her ready. If an enemy discovered her affinity for magic she could be in serious danger and, by extension, so would he.

* * *

Ozpin retired to his office after observing Ms Belladonna track down Ichika, if only to assure her safety should the young man take offense to her prying. He sipped his coffee and stared out the window into the abyss of his mind, a mind weary of duty.

The world was changing. They needed to find their guardian fast. And Ozpin had a feeling he knew just who that could be...


	6. Training Session (short)

**"Death is a natural thing, my boy. It will happen to all of us eventually, so do not fear it. Instead, use that head of yours to figure out how to make life better for those around you while you have it. I'm certain that one day, you'll do some incredible things. And I cannot wait to witness them."**

**~Village Elder Tanuk to Ichika about death.**

* * *

_How long did he wait there? How long did he sit amongst the ruins of his home, waiting? _

_What was he waiting for? Was he waiting for the rain to stop? For the cold, still bodies of the villagers, people he's known his whole life, to get up and laugh? To smile and tell him it was all a joke. Just a funny joke. Or..._

_Was he waiting to join them in their stillness? To let the shadow of death take him as well? _

_She didn't know so, without any choice, she waited with the little boy who sat staring, unblinking at the mound of bodies in front of him. _

_He looked like a nightmare. Dirty, pale, and covered in blood. The blood was not his, however. It belonged to the other still forms that weren't even close to resembling human. If the boy noticed them, he didn't acknowledge it. So they waited... and waited... and waited. _

_Was it an eternity, or only a few minutes when the thunderous sounds of many horses pounding the ground broke the silence?_

_The men were heavily armored from head to toe, bright silver breastplates inlaid with gold under dark brown cloaks to shield them from the elements. They finally came to a stop in the middle of the village ruins and dismounted. There was shouting and men began scrambling off to check for survivors._

_The boy never moved. His unfocused eyes not even sparing them a glance. So still was he, that the commander might have mistook him for one of the dead had she not seen his chest moving, slowly._

_"Over here! We have a live one! Hey, boy, can you hear me? What happened here? Are you alright?" She reached out to touch him but, when she made the slightest contact, he stumbled backwards as if he was burned. _

_"STAY AWAY FROM ME! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONS- *thud*" He didn't make it far before he collapsed, panting and delirious. The commander grimaced and began barking orders to make for the nearest town to get the boy healthy again. _

_The men hesitated when they finally got a good look at him. Furry ears poking out from his dirty mop of black hair and fingers sharpened into claws. "Ma'am... are you sure? He's one of them, one of those... things-...!?" The solider who spoke up froze when she leveled a glare at him. "He. Is. A. Child." Each syllable was spoken with finality, daring any of them to dispute her. "You will pack up, shut up, and you will not question my orders again. Am I clear?" A chorus of "Yes Ma'am!" resounded and, satisfied that no one had anything else stupid to say, gathered the boy up into her arms and mounted her horse. _

_Something about the boy's cry had concerned her, however. He screamed 'monster' as in a singular entity. From what she could tell, there were as many as thirty dead demons strewn about the ground near him. Had he seen their commander? Putting it to the back of her mind, she urged her horse forward and Weiss could only watch as they all galloped awa-_

**THWACK!**

"OW!?" The Heiress furiously scrubbed at the bump on her head courtesy of her servant, Ichika. "Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's not okay to hit girls!?" Seriously, as if this impromptu meditation session wasn't aggravating enough, she had to deal with constant visions of whatever keeps popping into her head. To make matters worse, if she showed even the slightest sign of daydreaming he would promptly flick her on the forehead, set off a small fireball spell right next to her, or drive his fist into the top of her head.

In response, the boy merely shrugged, "No, cause most of them could hit back just as hard as the boys. Some could hit harder. Besides, should someone who is training to fight monsters really be complaining about getting hit?" Taking his seat once again across from her, he began to explain the lesson again, "Now, close your eyes and empty your mind."

Grumbling under her breath, she did as she was told.

"Now, when you summoned your power before I doubt you were paying attention to it. That was why it got out of hand. You, despite not being aware of it, were relying purely on instinct. Try and feel around inside yourself for the current of magic. Then, follow it to its source." To prove a point, he expelled some power around him giving the effect of a breeze blowing through them. "Imagine a river... flowing endlessly inside of you. Then, follow it to its source."

Closing her eyes once again, Weiss tried to do as she was told. Just like before, however, all she could see was the darkness behind her eyelids and a slight red hue from the light pushing through the thin membranes (that's so weird to think about now that i've written it...). It wasn't like she didn't understand the concept. Using a mental image to focus your thoughts was the basic fundamentals that her sister Winter had ingrained in her when they had first begun her training in summoning. The irony of summoning a live, flesh and blood, servant but failing to conjure a simple familiar with her semblance was not lost on her. It was actually quite unfair really. She could do something that was, according to Ichika, so complex that you needed years of study to even attempt and yet-!?

'Wait... was that glimmer always there?' There, in the center of the darkness was a small sliver of light. It was different from the slight red tint she was used to seeing. The more she focused on it, the more it seemed to resemble a snowflake in the same design as the one engraved onto her clothing. It floated there in the center of the darkness and she felt a small tug from the center of her chest, almost as if it was beckoning her to it. As if in a trance, she slowly drifted closer to it, feeling a cold pressure building around her. She slowly reached out her hand to touch it...- "Woah woah woah! Hey snap out of it!"

Her eyes snapped open and she could only glance around dumbly as she appeared to be inside some sort of wintry vortex. A few seconds later, she became aware of the fact that she was no longer sitting on the ground, but floating a good twenty feet above it. However, in true stereotypical fashion, it all ended in an instant sending her falling ungracefully back to the ground. A small gasp was all she could manage before her reflexes took over and she shut her eyes tight, bracing for impact. She stopped falling, but the jarring sensation of hitting the ground wasn't what she felt. Instead, she felt... warm. Whatever she landed on was kinda soft, but firm at the same time. It was quite puzzling, until the object cleared his throat, "You know... as much as I enjoy getting knocked around by sudden bursts of freezing cold air, which is to say not at all, you really seem to have a habit of doing so." Again she opened her eyes, much slower this time, only to find herself face to face with her Servant who was currently holding her bridal style and looking slightly amused despite his grumbling.

"Two points to gravity, zero for you." He eyed the girl in his arms, who had grown considerably quiet. She sure was something to be feared if she ever got control of her power. He was nearly blown off the, from what she had told him earlier, floating island. It intrigued him, though he wondered what the trigger was. Usually power responds to the caster's emotions, proven by how the magic reacts when the intent of the spell changes. For example, a simple fire spell has many different uses and can react in just as many ways depending on how the caster decides to cast it. You could start a small fire, make a light, create warmth without burning, or simply incinerate a target all with the same spell. The possibilities were endless. This is partially why he wanted to make sure Weiss knew how to control herself, lest she end up impaling someone with a high level spell accidentally. Ice magic seemed to be her natural element however, and the thought brought a wry smile to his face. His own fire element and her ice were the perfect examples of their partnership. They could not st- ***THWACK***

To those who do not know, it is never a good idea to space out while holding someone in your arms who tends to be... volatile. Both Ichika and Weiss crashed to the ground as she yelped and slapped him, finally realizing exactly what was going on (or what she thought was going on), Ichika landing on his rear and Weiss on her back. Both let out a hiss of pain before recovering enough to glower at each other,

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?"

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME LIKE THAT! PERVERT!"

"WHY DO YOU INSIST ON CALLING ME A PERVERT!?"

"BECAUSE YOU ARE!"

"BECAUSE I CAUGHT YOU!?"

And so it went on until three sets of coughs brought their attention to the RBY of Weiss' team. Unsurprisingly, Yang was the first to speak up, "Alright love birds, while this is highly entertaining, Ozpin just sent all students a message on our scrolls. We need to 'Yang' out today." Her grin went from normal to face splitting with one bad pun, "That means you too Ice Queen."

Ichika, nursing his face, was almost too happy to take his leave. Until he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He closed his eyes, focusing on it. Pain like this meant that he was close to violating his contract and, as a servant, had the ability to review the contract at any time by focusing on it. The contract was the source of his connection to his master, so either of them could look at it. In his mindscape, he watched the worn paper unfurl and expand until it stretched before him.

_"This servant must not leave their Masters side."_

He frowned. He'd left her earlier this day and never felt a thing. Perhaps it was because he was still within a certain distance and, from what he could hear in the background over the sound of his Master's squawking about not being lovers, they intending on going into the town he could see from the edge of the school. His mindscape faded and, as not to seem rude, offered a short nod to Blake in greeting and a short wave and smile to Ruby who seemed too excited to notice. His Master was currently trying to strangle Yang, who took it all in stride with a large grin on her face.

Unable to contain herself anymore Ruby blew hard into a whistle, unaware of the strangled cry Ichika let out, and clapped her hands together, "Alright team! Plan: Become-closer-to-our-teammates-to-create-strong-bonds-that-will-make-us-super-awesome-friends-who-kick-butt-and-have-fun-by-going-to-Vale-and-making-small-talk-while-seeing-the-sights begins now!" How she managed that whole sentence without taking a single breath, only Oum knows. Finally acknowledging his presence, Ruby turned to Ichika, "With guest member!" She was still grateful to him for sticking up for her in the forest and didn't want him to feel left out... which wouldn't have bothered him anyway were it not for his contract. Weiss made to argue, but was silenced by Yang's arm wrapping around her shoulder and squeezing her face against her... assets... "Roger that, oh leader my leader! Let's go!" And with that, the four of them trudged towards the Bullheads that would take them to Vale proper. Ichika once more felt a buzz in the back of his head, different from the contract warning system. He would focus on that later though, as he needed to keep a close eye on his charge. Something was stirring, and it was making him uneasy.

* * *

Far away, deep in a warehouse on the Valean Docks, a tall lithe man was pacing back and forth with a lit cigar in his mouth. Before him was a large map with circles drawn on it and notes beside those circles. After that little red menace interrupted his heist a few days ago, his 'employer' decided that he needed double the amount of work to make up for it. He cursed himself for not seeing the viper behind the pretty face and poured over his map once more. Small stores, hardly worth anything in the grand scheme of things, but she had been clear in her orders. And Roman Torchwick was not one to bite the significantly dangerous hand that, metaphorically, fed him. Behind him, a short girl with pink and brown hair happily swung her legs back and forth as she sat on a crate of Dust crystals. He envied her carefree attitude, but then it wasn't her neck that would be on the chopping block if he failed. "Neo, round up the men. Her 'royal pain in my ass' wants us to hit one of these shops during the daytime. Guess she wants the people as spooked as possible..." He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke as the girl hopped off the box and gave his a silent salute before vanishing.

"All the same... I need to blow off some steam anyways." The light cast a shadow over half his face that did little to hide the vicious grin.

* * *

**A/N: What's up peoples!? Now, I know it's been a while, but I had a sudden burst of creativity which resulted in... this...**

**Eh, not my best, but next chapter will have the group roaming vale and trying to bond. Key word, try. Also, Roman will be attacking a dust shop so we might see team RWBY+I taking on the fiend. Also, what is bothering Ichika? Is this buzzing in his head the presence of another servant? Or did he get a bee stuck in his ears?**

**Probably the latter. **

**Anyways, volume 4... well not 'hype' (for me anyways) but... dreaded anticipation? With how RWBY is progressing i feel like i'm going to have my heart ripped out again just like when *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* Pyrrha died. RIP in pepperoni arkos...**

**Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more chapters to come! Well, as long as I can stay motivated :/**


	7. Feelings are powerful (unfinished)

"Why do you insist on being difficult?"

"I should be asking you that!"

"I already gave you a fair explanation and I stand by it."

"How does, 'I don't have wings,' qualify as a fair explanation!?"

"Because I don't. Therefore I do not fly."

Confused? Thought so. For your benefit, let's backtrack a bit.

* * *

**-Beacon Docks: Around 20 mins ago-**

Weiss was at the end of her patience, which admittedly wasn't very long. Her foot tapped incessantly as she glared at the raven haired problem before her. "I'm not repeating myself again. Get. On. The Airship."

His response remained the same, "I do not have wings, so no." He was part wolf, not part eagle or raven or any other avian creature that took to the skies. He liked the ground very much and would not part with it more than necessary. Do not mistake his resistance for fear of flying, because that was ridiculous. He was given claws and fangs, not feathers and talons. "We will travel by foot."

Her eyes twitched, "By foot... and how do you propose we get down?"

*He... hadn't thought of that. She did say that they were on a floating island of sorts. It also didn't help that Yang had apparently had enough with waiting for the two of them and had no qualms with grabbing him suddenly by the collar. Were her eyes always that red?

"Listen 'buddy' we don't have all day. So either get your 'ship' together and get on, or you'll get to see me very 'yangry'." He wasn't sure which was worse, the fact he couldn't fight back out of sheer respect for Ozpin, or the God awful puns. In the end he relented, though not without some minor grumbling.

* * *

**-Present-**

Suffice to say the situation had not improved. The streets of vale were fairly busy this time of day, which meant more people were witness to the pairs bickering. Ruby, although wanting to get to know her partner better and become mega best friends, decided that they had a few issues to work out and spoke up, "Oooookay guys, time out. We can't have fun with you two at each others throats. So! As team leader, I decree that you both need to go ahead without us and work it out! We really don't want Yang to destroy another hotdog stand..." Said blonde was doing her best to keep her temper cool. A lot of things she could handle, but pointless bickering wasn't one of them. 'Maybe that's the mothering side of her,' Ruby mused to herself before pushing on the two of them to move ahead a ways.

The two initially refused, but the mechanical sound of a shell being loaded into Ember Celica urged them onwards.

The walk itself wasn't all that bad. The bustling streets of Vale teemed with life as shopkeepers, chefs, clerks, and many others who did not, or could not, take up the mantle of protector went about their normal lives. The tall brick buildings lined the streets with the occasional calls of the vendors peddling their wares. They walked in silence for a good while... until the tension became unbearable for Weiss.

"You know, this could have been avoided if you'd just stayed at Beacon. I am capable of handling myself, despite this new... development." She didn't really know what to call the last few days frankly. Three days ago, if you had told her any of this would happen she would have personally requested that you be admitted into a psychiatric facility for your saftey and the good of the public. Now... she is considering admitting herself.

"I am aware of that. However, our contract forbids me from straying too far from your side. Were it my choice, I'd have gladly stayed behind. Sadly, I don't have much of an option in these matters." His voice was even, but he could not keep a small amount of frustration from slipping through. He hated this. Being essentially chained to someone and dragged around with little to no say whatsoever. "At this point I'm used to it."

She wanted to press him further but decided against it. That would only lead to another argument and she really didn't want to draw too much attention to herself right now. If people started snapping photos of her walking around with a boy she'd no doubt receive many phone calls from her father that she would not answer, and one call from her sister that she would answer in a heartbeat. Her eyes traveled to the top of his head, left uncovered by the hood, and was slightly relieved to find that his furry ears were not on display. 'That' would spark controversy if nothing else would. Speaking of which...

"There is something I've been meaning to ask you." He turned to look at her, one eyebrow slightly raised to show he was listening, "What... are you, exactly? And no I don't need another explanation of servants. It's just that, well, you're obviously not human, so..."

He hummed, "So what am I?" He considered the question as his eyes scanned the items being shown in the windows of various shops, "A valid question, and one I'd considered coming up at some point. The short answer is, hybrid." Cars rolled by, followed by his curious gaze, "The long answer is my father was a human and my mother was a wolf spirit who guarded a forrest. Don't ask me how they happened to fall in love, because my mother would never tell me and my father was never around."

Something flickered in the distance, causing him to miss the slightly sympathetic and bitter expression of his master, "This world of yours certainly is strange." He started off in the direction of the flicker and found that it was a tiny person, walking and talking, against a glass background. Occasionally it would change, showing their different sides, before returning to their face as they rattled on about something he didn't care about.

"What do you mean?" She asked, not finding anything interesting about an ad for some oxygen based cleaning product.

He rested his hand against to store window, "Take this... T.V. for example. Because of our bond, I can tell you what it is, I can tell you how to turn it on, I can even tell you that there are many 'channels' that you can switch to. But it is difficult for me to understand the concept of a T.V." He backed away, noting the irritated look of the shopkeeper who no doubt just cleaned those windows, "Similar to learning magic, I'll wager."

Now that peaked her interest, if only to better understand the power she was flinging around, "How so?" It had occurred to Weiss that he was, possibly, way out of his depth when it came to technology. If the contract link between them explained them for her, however, she wouldn't think too much of it.

He thought a moment before answering, "Perhaps we should find a place to rest. This could take a while to explain."

* * *

A half hour later found them sitting on a bench in a small park at the center of the shopping district. The day was nice and warm with a light breeze blowing through, prompting many to stroll around or relax as they had. Ichika, however, wasted no time in beginning his explanation, "Tell me, when you think of the word 'fire' what comes to mind?"

Weiss furrowed her brow in thought. Although a simple question, it was clear he was looking for something specific. "A... fire I suppose?" She had expected him to laugh at her, sigh, frown, or simply reprimand her for a, in her opinion, rather dull answer. Instead, he nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, most would imagine a fire of any type." As an example, he opened his palm and summoned a tiny, flickering flame, "Something as tame as the flame of a candle, or the roaring, destructive power of an inferno." Closing his hand, he extinguished the flame, "Now tell me, what 'is' fire?"

Again, the most simple answer would have been fire. But he wasn't looking for simple, so Weiss thought a bit more before answering, "Fire is... destruction?" Fire burned away at wood, flesh, and bone. If left untended, even a small cinder could decimate a forest. It could crumble stone, melt metal, and scar vast amounts of land in no time at all.

He nodded again, but this time he seemed a bit unsatisfied. As if she'd missed a few things. "Fire can destroy, yes. In the hands of someone inexperienced or someone who desires evil, fire can be a deadly tool of destruction. However, that is not the only thing it is." Without warning he took her hand in his own, facing her palm upwards. The flame appeared again, but this time it hovered above her open hand.

She gasped, her instincts taking over, but he held her hand firmly, "Don't move. Tell me, what do you feel?" The initial shock wearing off, she began to note that the fire did not burn her. Instead it felt, "Warm. It... feels warm." She looked at his face, trying to gauge his expression, but only saw the fire reflected in his eyes as he stared at it in a trance-like state. It was... calming actually, if she had to be truthful, to see him like this. He didn't exude that uneasy aura of his, and he seemed far less tense.

"Warmth is another trait of fire, but that is not all. Fire is light, a beacon of hope, protection, life, and rebirth. It is easily misused and therefore misunderstood. To make the utmost use of your elemental affinity, you must first understand the many aspects of the element itself." The flame vanished, but his hand never moved. "Your turn. Think of your element, Ice, and what it means."

Her gaze now on their hands, she tried to think of different ways ice could be used. Her initial thought was coldness. The chilling sensation she felt whenever she set foot in her father's study. Or when she tried to speak to her mother between drinks.

"Focus. Do not let your thoughts stray from the task at hand."

His grip tightened for a moment and she noticed a thin sheen of frost covering their hands. She took a breath and tried again, this time thinking of her sister Winter. Winter was the only ray of light in her family that she could count on. No matter what, Winter would always try to be there for her, even if only to push her further. It brought back a memory of when she was very young. Weiss had wanted to stand outside to watch the snow fall and Winter obliged. It was a quiet, happy moment for her, one she rarely got to enjoy before or since. "There you go."

She blinked, snapping out of her own trance, and stared at the object floating in the palm of her hand. It was a snowflake, about the size of small bird, in the shape of her families crest.

Ichika's other hand joined it's kin and cupped her smaller one, raising it between them, "Feelings are powerful when using magic. They can determine the size, shape, and intensity of your spell. In some cases, if you become skilled enough, they can even be used to determine which targets you wish to inflict harm on or protect. Because of this, it is very important to have a cool head when in a combat situation. If you feelings run wild, so too will your magic." He dropped his hands from hers, "And when that happens... you may find that the consequences could prove to be more than you can bear."

His last sentence was spoken so softly, she almost thought he had been talking to himself. Before she could ask, she heard a loud scream along with the breaking of glass off in the distance. Before she could properly react he was already on his feet, his normal self back in place. "Lesson's over, for the time being. I assume we'll want to investigate?" She hesitated for a moment before nodding. With that, they set off in the direction of the noises.


End file.
